Department for Transport

Safety Belts: Fixed Penalties

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of introducing penalty points for people who fail to wear a seatbelt.

Katherine Fletcher: The Department for Transport knows that in 2021, in 30% of all car occupant fatalities recorded, seat belts were not worn. This is unacceptably high, and we have been considering options to tackle this including the potential merits of introducing penalty points. This might form part of the Department for Transports planned call for evidence on motoring offences.

Road Safety Investigation Branch

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans she has to introduce legislative proposals to establish the Road Safety Investigation Branch and give it the necessary powers.

Katherine Fletcher: The Road Safety Investigation Branch remains a legislative priority and the Department for Transport remains committed to finding the swiftest possible route to legislate when Parliamentary time allows.

Roads: Accidents

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the reasons for road casualties to have returned to pre covid-19 levels; and when her Department plans to publish a casualty reduction strategy.

Katherine Fletcher: In 2021, road casualties showed signs of a return to pre-pandemic trends, increasing compared to 2020 when casualty numbers were low, largely as a result of periods of lockdown resulting in a reduction in road traffic. Over the second half of the year, both casualties and traffic returned to levels similar to those in 2019. Monthly changes in casualties during 2021 generally showed a similar trend to changes in motor vehicle traffic levels.We announced in the summer of 2021 that we would devise a new Road Safety Strategic Framework which will include a new implementation plan to improve road safety. This will be published in due course.

Department for Transport: Location

Florence Eshalomi: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if they will publish the payments made to officials in their Department for relocation to government offices outside London in 2021.

Katherine Fletcher: The total of all claims made under this policy during 2021 was £18,083.14.

Great British Railways

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions she has had with local authorities and other stakeholders on the Great British Railways Headquarters competition, following the announcement the project is delayed.

Katherine Fletcher: A final decision and announcement will be made on the location for the GBR headquarters shortly.It would be inappropriate to enter further detailed discussions with the relevant local authorities and stakeholders ahead of this announcement.

Great British Railways

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the cost of consultants supporting or contracted by the Great British Railways Transition Team was in each month from February 2022.

Katherine Fletcher: Total spend on Great British Railways Transition Team (GBRTT)’s consultancy support over the period from 11 February 2022 to 15 October 2022 was £15.5 million. Data on monthly cost for consultants supporting the GBRTT is not available in the format requested as GBRTT hold data in accounting periods rather than calendar months.

Great British Railways

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent estimate she has made of the cost to the public purse of the establishment and operation of Great British Railways.

Katherine Fletcher: The cost of establishment and ongoing operations of Great British Railways will be confirmed in the final business case in 2023.

TransPennine Express

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has had recent discussions with TransPennine Express on service levels.

Katherine Fletcher: The Department, through its Rail North Partnership with Transport for the North, has regular discussions with the operator and stakeholders in the north on service levels. The Rail North Partnership will continue work with TPE to manage services and develop plans to resolve issues with them.

Avanti West Coast: Standards

Paula Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what requirements her Department has placed on Avanti West Coast to improve their service levels on the West Coast Main Line.

Paula Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate her Department has made of the wider economic costs of Avanti's performance in not providing adequate service provision on the West Coast mainline.

Katherine Fletcher: Avanti West Coast (AWC) has put forward a recovery plan for improvement of its services to passengers as part of the short-term contract extension announced on Friday 7 October. Both the Office of Rail and Road and Network Rail have reviewed Avanti’s plan and are supportive of the proposition, noting its full and successful delivery requires agreement with unions. The Department is monitoring AWC’s delivery and holding AWC to account as appropriate.The Department recognises the importance of high performing rail services for the communities, businesses and local economies they serve. The issues experienced on Avanti are exactly why we need to modernise the railways, to ensure passengers get a reliable timetable no matter when they travel and are not relying on drivers working overtime in the first place.

Railways: Pay

Paula Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has made a recent assessment of the adequacy of pay levels for staff working across the railway network.

Katherine Fletcher: According to data from the Office for National Statistics, in 2021 the median gross salary of all rail workers was £44,000. This is around 70% above the national median of £26,000.A report, published on 6 October 2022 by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR), benchmarked rail employment cost data for both Network Rail and for the first time Train Operating Companies with comparative roles. The report found aggregate industry level pay was broadly in line with (but towards the upper end of) that for comparable roles employed elsewhere in the UK economy.The report can be found here: Review of rail industry employment costs (orr.gov.uk)

Air Pollution: Greater Manchester

Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she takes to coordinate policies with Greater Manchester local authorities and the Combined Authority to reduce air pollution emanating from the motorway system across Greater Manchester.

Katherine Fletcher: National Highways is responsible for addressing air quality on the Strategic Road Network. National Highways works closely with Greater Manchester authorities, and other local authorities, to reduce pollution. Following consultation which ran for 10 weeks until 6 June 2022, the Government intends to designate National Highways as a ‘relevant public authority’. This change will require National Highways to collaborate with local authorities to improve air quality – becoming an ‘air quality partner’ where locally relevant. National Highways publishes regular reports which are available at the National Highways Air Quality Reports webpage, setting out the steps they are taking. Greater Manchester authorities have also engaged with National Highways in the development of their plans for the reduction of Nitrogen Dioxide pollution. The Government is currently reviewing Greater Manchester authorities’ proposal and will respond in due course.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Energy Bill Relief Scheme: Students

Mary Kelly Foy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the Energy Bills Support Scheme on students who pay their energy bills through a third party.

Graham Stuart: If landlords have a domestic electricity meter point, they will receive £400 through the Energy Bills Support Scheme. The Government introduced the Energy Prices Bill in Parliament on 12th October. The Bill includes provisions to require landlords to pass benefits received from the Energy Price Guarantee, Energy Bills Support Scheme, or Energy Bill Relief Scheme to tenants who pay all-inclusive bills. If landlords have a commercial meter, they will not receive the £400 payment. Commercial halls are supported through the Energy Bill Relief Scheme.

Energy Bills Rebate: Private Rented Housing

Judith Cummins: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if his Department will bring forward legislative proposals to require landlords to pass on the £400 energy bills discount to tenants who pay rent inclusive of bills.

Graham Stuart: The Government introduced legislation on the 11th of October to ensure landlords pass the EBSS discount on to tenants who pay all-inclusive bills.

Energy Bills Rebate: Private Rented Housing

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how tenants in a multi-occupied property who each pay for their energy by putting coins in a meter, which are then collected by the landlord, will receive their £400 energy rebate.

Graham Stuart: If landlords have domestic contracts with their energy supplier, they are required to charge tenants no more than they paid suppliers for the energy, under Ofgem’s Maximum Resale Price rules. This means that the £400 discount should be passed onto tenants. If landlords have a commercial contract with their supplier, further funding will be available to provide equivalent support for energy bills for the small percentage of domestic energy consumers not reached by the Energy Bills Support Scheme. The Government will announce further details in the Autumn.

Energy Bills Rebate: Private Rented Housing

Judith Cummins: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether tenants who are charged by a landlord for the energy costs incurred through an electricity meter are entitled to the rebate.

Graham Stuart: If landlords have domestic contracts with their energy supplier, they are required to charge tenants no more than they paid suppliers for the energy, under Ofgem’s Maximum Resale Price rules. This means that the £400 discount should be passed onto tenants. If landlords have a commercial contract with their supplier, further funding will be available to provide equivalent support for energy bills for the small percentage of domestic energy consumers not reached by the Energy Bills Support Scheme. The Government will announce further details in the Autumn.

High Security Hospitals and Prisons: Energy Bills Rebate

Ellie Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether people in (a) prison and (b) secure hospitals are eligible to receive money from the energy bill support scheme.

Graham Stuart: The Energy Bills Support Scheme (EBSS) is delivering a £400 non-repayable discount to households with a domestic electricity meter. EBSS Alternative Funding will provide equivalent support of £400 for energy bills for the small minority of households who will not be reached through the EBSS.

Energy: Storage

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will publish a list of projects that have been supported by the Longer Duration Energy Storage £68 million grant programme.

Graham Stuart: The Government announced the winners of Phase 1 of the Long Duration Energy Storage Programme on 3 May 2022. Details of Phase 1 projects can be found here:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/longer-duration-energy-storage-demonstration-lodes-competition Details of projects successful in progressing to Phase 2 will be announced on completion of a competitive down-selection process and commercial due diligence processes. Successful ‘Stream 1’ projects are expected to be announced in early 2023 and successful ‘Stream 2’ projects will be announced in due course.

Retail Trade: Energy

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent assessment he has made of the impact of the rise in energy bills on high street businesses.

Graham Stuart: The Energy Bill Relief Scheme will provide a price reduction to ensure that all eligible businesses and other non-domestic customers are protected from excessively high energy bills over the winter period.

Retail Trade: Cost of Living

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent steps his Department has taken to help support high street businesses during the cost of living crisis.

Graham Stuart: The Government recognises that a number of high street businesses are facing cost pressures driven by global factors, including high energy prices and the cost of living. The Energy Bill Relief Scheme ensures that all businesses and other non-domestic customers are protected from excessively high energy bills over the winter period. Eligible retailers and hospitality businesses can continue to benefit from 50% business rates relief and the Government has frozen the multiplier for all businesses in 2022/23.

Energy Company Obligation: Sunderland Central

Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how much funding has been allocated under the ECO4 to (a) Sunderland Central constituency and (b) the North East in 2022.

Graham Stuart: The Government does not hold data on how much funding has been allocated through ECO by region but does publish data on the number of measures installed through the scheme. A breakdown by region and Parliamentary constituency can be found in tables 3.3 and 3.6 respectively in the latest Household Energy Efficiency release. Data on the number of measures installed under ECO4 will be published in due course.

Energy Bills Rebate

David Warburton: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, in addition to the one-off £100 support payment, what steps he will take to ensure that off-grid energy users are able to receive equal support to on-grid households.

Graham Stuart: The Energy Bills Support Scheme (EBSS) delivers a £400 non-repayable discount to households with an electricity meter. For those not on standard gas or electricity contracts the EBSS Alternative Fund will provide equivalent support.

Social Services: Power Failures

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help ensure that care (a) providers and (b) recipients will be protected from energy blackouts in winter 2022; and if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of including care providers in the list of protected sites in the (i) Electricity Supply Emergency Code and (ii) other relevant Government documents.

Graham Stuart: Power cuts are highly unlikely. The Government has developed plans to protect households and businesses in a full range of scenarios this winter, despite the impact of Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine. Sites that meet the criteria set out in the Electricity Supply Emergency Code https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/electricity-supply-emergency-code can apply directly through their Distribution Network Operator (or Transmission Network Operator if they connect to that directly) to be on the Protected Sites List.

Offshore Industry: North Sea

Geraint Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans he has to ensure that oil and gas operations in the North Sea urgently tackle their gas leaks and losses, to improve the UK's energy security, reduce their methane emissions and help to meet the UK’s commitments in the Global Methane Pledge.

Graham Stuart: Companies operating in the North Sea are required to assess methane management measures in line with regulatory approval processes. The Government is taking steps to drive down methane emissions in the North Sea, including those from leaks and losses, through commitments set out the in North Sea Transition Deal, supported by the industry Methane Action Plan commitment to a 50% reduction in methane emissions by 2030. In addition, the Offshore Major Accident Regulator inspects offshore installations for compliance with regulations relating to the release of gases; working with companies to prevent losses, and taking enforcement action where required.

Energy Supply: Prices

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent assessment he has made of the impact of solar powered energy on (a) energy security (b) the price of energy bills.

Graham Stuart: Solar is a key part of the UK’s energy mix and needs sustained growth in capacity in the next decade to support the Government’s energy security goals, as well as the delivery of net zero. Utility-scale solar is now one of the cheapest forms of electricity generation. Deploying more home grown solar will help limit household electricity bills and ensure Britain is less affected by fluctuations in volatile global gas prices.

Housing: Renewable Energy

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to encourage the deployment of renewable energy sources in (a) new build and (b) existing social housing.

Graham Stuart: Improved energy efficiency standards for new builds came into force on 15 June 2022. To meet these new standards, most new buildings are likely to be built with renewable energy sources, principally rooftop solar panels. The Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund is a £3.8bn Government manifesto commitment over a 10-year period to improve the energy performance of social rented homes, on the pathway to Net Zero 2050. The SHDF Wave 2.1 competition will allocate up to £800m to support the installation of energy performance measures, including renewable energy sources, in social homes.

Energy Bills Rebate: Park Homes

Stephen Farry: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether park homeowners, who are billed by landlords for electricity usage, will be entitled to access the Energy Bill Relief Scheme cap on business electricity rates with effect from 1 November 2022.

Graham Stuart: Park Homeowners who are billed by landlords for electricity usage on eligible non-domestic tariffs will be covered by the Energy Bill Relief Scheme. This scheme will provide a price reduction to ensure all eligible businesses and other non-domestic energy users are protected from excessively high energy bills over the winter period. Landlords are required to ensure the benefits of the scheme are passed onto the tenants in a reasonable and proportionate way.

Energy Bills Rebate

David Warburton: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how off-grid energy users will be able to access the one-off support payment towards their energy bills this winter.

Graham Stuart: Eligible households in Great Britain will receive £100 as a credit on their electricity bill this winter. For Northern Ireland, the Government is working with electricity suppliers to explore how the payment could be delivered via electricity bills. Households that are eligible for, but do not receive AFP, because they do not have a relationship with an electricity supplier, will receive £100 via the AFP Alternative Fund. The Energy Bill Support Scheme (EBSS) will provide equivalent support of £400 for energy bills to the small minority of households who will not be reached through the EBSS. This includes those who do not have a domestic electricity meter or a direct relationship with an energy supplier, such as those who live off-grid.

Fracking: Planning Permission

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many communities where there are planning applications for a fracking site have consented to fracking taking place, as of 21 October 2022.

Graham Stuart: There are currently no live planning applications for hydraulic fracturing operation in England.

Fuel Poverty: Children

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to help reduce the numbers of children in fuel poverty.

Graham Stuart: The Government is committed to supporting vulnerable households, including those with young children, through policies to tackle fuel poverty.  This winter the Government is providing direct support to millions of households through the Energy Price Guarantee and the Energy Bills Support Scheme. This is in addition to the Cost of Living Support Package, which is targeted particularly on those with the greatest need.  The Government is also helping households, including families with children, to reduce energy costs in the long term by improving the energy efficiency of homes.

Fuel Poverty

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make an estimate of the number of people who are currently in fuel poverty in (a) England, (b) Yorkshire and (c) York.

Graham Stuart: The Government publishes annual statistics on the number and percentage of households in fuel poverty for England, which can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/fuel-poverty-statisticsand at subnational level including by Region, by Local Authority and by Parliamentary Constituency, which can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/fuel-poverty-sub-regional-statistics

Housing: Fuel Oil

Stephen Farry: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the characteristics of the Northern Ireland energy market in the derivation of £100 payment in energy support for oil-using households, as part of the Government's Energy Price Guarantee scheme.

Graham Stuart: The £100 payment has been calculated by reference to past increases in the cost of heating oil between September 2021 and September 2022, which in Northern Ireland (NI) was £1,080 (£820 to £1,900), an increase of 132%. The payment is intended to ensure the typical household using heating oil does not experience an increase on September 2021 prices of more than 130%, in line with the guarantee offered through the EPG. The calculation considers characteristics of the NI market including heating oil demand for a typical NI home, NI heating oil price, and typical NI heating oil bill.

Housing: Fuel Oil

Stephen Farry: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what basis his Department used to underlie the provision of the £100 one-off payment as analogous energy support for oil-using households, in relation to the Government's Energy Price Guarantee Scheme.

Graham Stuart: The £100 payment has been calculated by reference to past increases in the cost of heating oil between September 2021 and September 2022. It aims to ensure that a typical customer using heating oil will not face a higher rate of growth from October 2022 than those using mains gas (who are supported by the Energy Price Guarantee). A payment of £100 will effectively limit the increase in heating costs to 130% for a typical household, in line with the benefit offered by the Energy Price Guarantee.

Energy Bills Rebate: Park Homes

Cherilyn Mackrory: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when he will announce further details on access to the energy discount provided for by the Energy Bills Support Scheme for park home owners.

Graham Stuart: The Government is finalising the details for the Energy Bills Support Scheme for park home owners, which will be set up for applications this winter.

Energy: Personal Records

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the Use of electricity meter and gas meter personal data collected through the Energy Price Guarantee scheme: privacy notice guidance published on 1 October 2022, if he will publish the Data Protection Impact Assessment which concluded that it would be appropriate to store individual consumption data for a period of up to ten years.

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the Use of electricity meter and gas meter personal data collected through the Energy Price Guarantee scheme: privacy notice guidance published on 1 October 2022, how often his Department will collect data from individual (a) traditional gas meters, (b) traditional electricity meters, (c) electricity smart meters and (d) gas smart meters.

Graham Stuart: The scope of the data required for the Energy Price Guarantee (EPG) scheme, and how regularly it is collected and processed, is still being defined. The Government will safeguard consumers’ privacy, whilst enabling proportionate access to energy consumption data to support the monitoring, evaluation, fraud prevention and scrutiny of the EPG. Robust security measures are in place to protect data, such as firewalls and passwords and the Government will only retain data for as long as it is required. The Government will collect any data (e.g. energy consumption) via a secure transfer from the energy suppliers. Once the scope of the data has been agreed, and before it is collected and processed, a Data Protection Impact Assessment will be completed.

Small Businesses: Energy

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent steps his Department has taken to support small businesses with rising energy costs.

Graham Stuart: The Energy Bill Relief Scheme was announced on 21 September 2022 to provide a discount on energy bills for all eligible non-domestic customers, including small businesses, whose current gas and electricity prices have been significantly inflated in light of global energy prices. The scheme will initially run for 6 months covering energy use from 1 October 2022 to 31 March 2023 and will help support growth, prevent unnecessary insolvencies and protect jobs.

Energy Charter Treaty

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans he has to ensure that any change to the Energy Charter Treaty is scrutinised by both the House of Commons and House of Lords.

Graham Stuart: If the modernisation amendments to the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT) are agreed by Contracting Parties to the ECT at the Energy Charter Conference on 22 November, the Government will lay the modernised Treaty text in Parliament accompanied by an Explanatory Memorandum in line with the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act (CRaG).

Energy Charter Treaty

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what engagement his Department has had with non-Governmental Organisations on the Energy Charter Treaty; and if he will list any meetings attended by (a) Ministers and (b) officials from his Department on that subject.

Graham Stuart: Officials at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy have engaged with a range of organisations interested in the Energy Charter Treaty, including with Non-Government Organisations including E3G, Trade Justice Movement, Friends of the Earth, Global Justice Now, War on Want and Climate Action Network Europe.

Energy Charter Treaty

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many meetings his Department has had with the Department for International Trade on the Energy Charter Treaty in the last 12 months.

Graham Stuart: Officials from the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy have worked closely with officials from the Department for International Trade on the Energy Charter Treaty and held regular meetings in the last 12 months. During negotiations to modernise the Treaty, officials from both Departments held weekly meetings.

Energy Charter Treaty: France

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the announcement by the French Government to withdraw from the Energy Charter Treaty.

Graham Stuart: The Government is closely monitoring the positions of other Contracting Parties to the Energy Charter Treaty, including France, and takes into account these positions in its own interaction with the modernisation process of the Energy Charter Treaty.

Artificial Intelligence: Safety

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the need to improve the safety of artificial intelligence to allow its use in industry.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: The Government wants to maximise the economic and societal benefits presented by AI technologies. To support this, we are taking action to make sure that we have the right rules around AI to support innovation whilst ensuring this technology is used safely.That is why we are committed to establishing a proportionate approach to governing AI which drives innovation and boosts public trust. We set out early proposals in July in the AI Regulation Policy Paper.[1] Our approach will be context specific, pro-innovation and risk based, providing coherence across the regulatory landscape.The Paper set out the Government's early proposals for six cross-sectoral principles which will underpin our emerging approach to AI regulation - the first of these principles is to ensure that AI is used safely.We will ensure that the full range of tools to support effective governance are deployed across industry, encouraging innovation and investment, while also protecting the public and safeguarding our fundamental values. [1] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/establishing-a-pro-innovation-approach-to-regulating-ai

Moderna: Contracts

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the delays to completing the contract to execute the signed Head of Terms from June 2022 between the Government and Moderna for the manufacturer to open a vaccines research and manufacturing centre in the UK; and what assessment he has made of the impact of those delays on progress in delivering that centre.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: The Government was pleased to sign the Heads of Terms agreement back in June, and since then has been working at pace with Moderna to negotiate a strategic partnership to support the UK’s vaccine resilience. During this time, relevant Ministers have been regularly kept informed of progress, and will continue to receive full briefings as the contract progresses.

Employment: Equality

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of technology on levels of inequality in the workplace.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: The overall net effect of automation and AI on employment is unclear, but a plausible assumption based on historical trends and economic research for the UK would see a broadly neutral effect overall. Research published by BEIS in 2021 estimated that around 7% of existing UK jobs could face a high (over 70%) probability of automation over the next 5 years, rising to 18% after 10 years and just under 30% after 20 years. However, AI will also create many jobs through the boost it gives to productivity and economic growth. The Government also welcomes research from academics and experts in the field including the ongoing work of the Pissarides Review into the Future of Work and Wellbeing, which is exploring the impacts of automation on work and wellbeing, and analysing how these are differently distributed between socio-demographic groups and geographical communities in the UK.

Artificial Intelligence and Automation

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the correspondence from the hon. Member for Boston and Skegness to the former Prime Minister of 1 September 2022, whether his Department is taking steps to help support people who will be most affected by (a) increasing automation and (b) the use of artificial intelligence.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: The Government welcomes innovation, and the contribution of automation and artificial intelligence (AI) to economic growth. The UK is already a world leader in AI, ranking third in the world, with the UK AI sector worth over £15.6bn (DataCity 2020). The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy plays an essential role in helping articulate what employers need from the skills system and support the Government’s ambitious reform programme to support people who will be affected by automation get the skills they need. The Government has expanded investment in postgraduate Master’s conversion courses in AI. Alongside this we are funding scholarships for students from underrepresented groups. We have also announced £117m funding to create 1000 more PhDs.

Apple and Google: Myanmar

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions he has had with (a) Apple and (b) Google on the potential merits of hosting apps for the Myanmar military.

Dean Russell: This is not a matter for BEIS.

Higher Education: Racial Discrimination

Cat Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Education on tackling institutional racism in higher education institutions.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: There is no room for any form of racism in any part of our society, including in higher education and R&D settings. People are at the heart of our R&D system, so it is important that we create a research environment that attracts, develops, and retains a diverse range of people – including at our world-leading higher education institutions. BEIS is working closely with other government departments and agencies – including the Department for Education and UK Research and Innovation – and the UK’s research sector to implement the range of actions in the R&D People and Culture Strategy that aim to eradicate discrimination, bullying and harassment.

British Antarctic Survey: Shipbuilding

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the expected annual (a) current and (b) capital expenditure on the new polar research vessel will be in each financial year of that project; and if he will place that information in the House of Commons Library.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: The new polar research vessel was named Royal Research Ship Sir David Attenborough in 2019 and came into service in 2021. Annual operating costs are in the region of £20 million. The ship is operated by the British Antarctic Survey a wholly owned research centre of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). All UKRI’s budget is considered capital in the national accounts.

Met Office

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the expected annual (a) current and (b) capital expenditure on the Met Office Supercomputing 2020+ Programme will be in each financial year of that scheme; and if he will place that information in the House of Commons Library.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: The amount allocated to the Met Office Supercomputing 2020+ Programme over the 2022-2025 Spending Review period is £349.1 million. This is part of the total business case approved investment of £1.2 billion. The Programme is funded through the BEIS R&D Capital budget. The Met Office annual report and accounts are published on metoffice.gov.uk.

Shipbuilding and Shipping

Steve Double: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans he has to support maritime and shipbuilding.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: The Marine sector and shipbuilding are an important part of my Ministerial portfolio. BEIS is supporting the delivery of the refreshed National Shipbuilding Strategy led by the Ministry of Defence. The Home Shipbuilding Credit Guarantee Scheme will underwrite lending, in partnership with commercial lenders, for domestic operators to encourage more UK builds and is a key priority for early delivery. I am bringing forward our specific proposals for the scheme to Government colleagues, with a view to updating Parliament and launching a scheme this calendar year.

Home Shipbuilding Credit Guarantee Scheme

Steve Double: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when the Home Shipbuilding Guarantee Scheme will be published.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: Shipbuilding falls within my Ministerial portfolio, and the Home Shipbuilding Credit Guarantee Scheme is a key priority for early delivery. I am bringing forward our specific proposals for the scheme to Government colleagues, with a view to updating Parliament and launching a scheme this calendar year.

Rented Housing: Energy Bills Rebate

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department will take steps to ensure that Government support with energy bills is passed on to tenants when their energy costs are included in their rental charges.

Graham Stuart: The Government recognises the importance of tenants seeing the benefits of the Energy Price Guarantee and the Energy Bills Support Scheme being passed on to them by their landlords. The Energy Prices Bill introduced on 12 October 2022 includes the provision to require landlords to pass benefits they receive from energy price support onto end users. Further details of the requirements under this legislation will be set out in regulations.

Housing: Sales

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many residential property sales were registered at HM Land Registry across (a) all properties and (b) new-build properties in each local authority in England and Wales in each of the last three years; and what proportion of those were to (i) UK companies, (ii) overseas companies, (iii) UK-based individuals and (iv) individuals based overseas.

Dean Russell: HM Land Registry Price Paid Data available at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/price-paid-data-downloads contains information on property sales, broken down by local authority. The last three years’ data is provided with this answer in a separate spreadsheet. In summary, the breakdown is as set out in the table below. YearResidentialResidential classified as new build2022337,5403,1982021964,35954,6072020729,74385,1672019839,999112,303 We will place a detailed breakdown between UK and overseas companies, and individuals providing UK and non-UK correspondence addresses as soon as possible in the Libraries of the House.HMLR stats - res/new build res 2019-22 (xlsx, 17.2KB)HMLR stats - res/new build res 2019-22 (xlsx, 17.2KB)

Attorney General

Attorney General: Location

Florence Eshalomi: To ask the Attorney General, if they will publish the payments made to officials in their Department for relocation to government offices outside London in 2021.

Michael Tomlinson: The Attorney General’s Office has made no payments to civil servants during 2021 related to relocation costs from London to Government offices in regional areas.

Crime: Newport West

Ruth Jones: To ask the Attorney General, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the CPS in ensuring access to justice for the victims of crime in Newport West constituency.

Michael Tomlinson: The CPS is committed to ensuring that victims of crime are able to access justice in England and Wales. Last year, the CPS commissioned independent research to better understand what victims want and need, and to identify areas for improvement.On the 27 June 2022, the CPS published its response to the research findings, setting out key areas of action.A long-term Victim Transformation Programme has been launched. Under phase one, the CPS is working on the development of a new operating model to improve the way it communicates and engages with all victims.It is a 2–3-year programme of work, with a phased approach to implementation starting in the next calendar year.

Department of Health and Social Care

Surgery: Luton South

Rachel Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps her Department has taken to help reduce waiting times for elective surgeries in Luton South constituency.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Mental Health Services: Veterans

Rachel Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many veterans requested mental health support in each month of (a) 2019, (b) 2020, (c) 2021, and (d) 2022.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Social Services: City of Durham

Mary Kelly Foy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of social care capacity in City of Durham constituency.

Helen Whately: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Ambulance Services: Standards

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department has taken recent steps to help improve ambulance handover times at hospitals.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

NHS: Staff

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of bringing outsourced NHS workers back in house.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

NHS: Pay

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to tackle the widening pay gap between subcontracted NHS workers and public sector workers.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

NHS: Living Wage

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to ensure that subcontracted NHS workers are paid at least a Real Living Wage.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Ambulance Services: Standards

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the average ambulance response time was in each response time category in each region in each of the last five years.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Health Visitors and Nurses

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many (a) FTE nurses and (b) health visitors there were in the NHS workforce, by region, in each of the last five years.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Nurses: Vacancies

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many NHS nurse vacancies there have been in the UK, by region, in each of the last five years.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

NHS: Greater London

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many NHS vacancies there are in London (a) in total and (b) by (i) NHS Trust and (ii) clinical commissioning group.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Mental Health Services: Somerton and Frome

David Warburton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help improve access for young people to mental health services in Somerton and Frome constituency.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Cancer: Waiting Lists

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many diagnostic appointments for cancer tests or scans have been cancelled as a result of staffing shortages in the NHS in each of the last 12 months.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Mental Health Services: York

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help improve access to mental health services in (a) York Central constituency and (b) York.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Eating Disorders: York

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help support young people with eating disorders in (a) York Central constituency and (b) York.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Moderna

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the status is of the contract to execute the signed Head of Terms from June 2022 between the Government and Moderna for the manufacturer to open a vaccines research and manufacturing centre in the UK.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Health: Walsall South

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps her Department has taken to help tackle health inequality in Walsall South constituency.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

HIV Infection: Walsall South

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people were diagnosed with HIV in Walsall South constituency in each of the last five years.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Life Expectancy: Nottingham South

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of trends in the level of healthy life expectancy in Nottingham South constituency.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Health: Nottingham South

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps her Department has taken to help tackle health inequality in Nottingham South constituency.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

NHS: Protective Clothing

Nick Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 24 October 2022 to Question 61011 on Protective Clothing: Contracts, what estimate she has made of the total cost to her Department of (a) management fees and (b) legal fees associated with the disputed contracts as of 24 October 2022.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Surgery: Worsley and Eccles South

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate her Department has made of the number of cancelled operations in Worsley and Eccles South constituency in the last 12 months.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

General Practitioners: Worsley and Eccles South

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate her Department has made of the number of GP practices that were open in Worsley and Eccles South constituency (a) on 13 October 2022 and (b) in 2013.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

HIV Infection: Garston and Halewood

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people were diagnosed with HIV in Garston and Halewood constituency in each of the last five years.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Mental Health

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent meetings she has held with mental health stakeholders.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Mental Health: Cost of Living

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the cost of living crisis on mental health.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Malnutrition: Wirral West

Margaret Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment her Department has made of trends in the level of malnutrition in Wirral West constituency.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Eating Disorders: Wirral West

Margaret Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help support young people with eating disorders in Wirral West constituency.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Surgery: Wirral West

Margaret Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many cancelled operations there were in Wirral West constituency in the last 12 months.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Life Expectancy: West Ham

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of trends in the level of healthy life expectancy by (a) gender and (b) ethnicity in West Ham constituency.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Surgery: West Ham

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate her Department has made of the number of cancelled NHS operations in the West Ham constituency in the past 12 months, by (a) borough, (b) ethnicity, (c) age and (d) socio-economic group of the patient.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Care Homes: Newham

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what (a) recent estimate her Department has made of the number of residential care homes that have closed in Newham since 1 January 2020, (b) assessment she makes of the socio-economic circumstances of the residents impacted and (c) if any assessment she has made of the impact on life expectancy of residents moved due to these closures.

Helen Whately: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Midwives: Greater London

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the (a) retention rate of midwives and (b) the number of vacancies for midwives at Barts Health NHS Trust.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Infant Mortality: Greater London

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many (a) perinatal and (b) neonatal deaths there were at Barts Health NHS Trust by (i) each borough served by that Trust, (ii) ethnicity and (iii) socio-economic group in the latest period for which data is available.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Moderna: Contracts

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment she has made of the potential effect of developing a UK vaccine research and manufacturing centre with Moderna on preparedness for future pandemics.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Perinatal Mortality: Garston and Halewood

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of trends in rates of perinatal mortality in Garston and Halewood constituency.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Moderna: Contracts

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress her Department has made on agreeing a contract with Moderna to develop a centre for vaccine research and manufacture in the UK.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Nurses: Sunderland Central

Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her department is taking to promote the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of school nurses in Sunderland Central constituency.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Breast Cancer: Bradford South

Judith Cummins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help increase the uptake of breast cancer screening in Bradford South constituency.

Will Quince: The Department is working with NHS England to finalise the delivery of £10 million for breast screening units, including determining which areas will benefit from this investment.National Health Service breast screening providers are also encouraged to work with Cancer Alliances, Primary Care Networks, NHS regional teams and the voluntary sector to promote the uptake of breast screening and ensure access to services.

Dental Services: Edmonton

Kate Osamor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of dental practices were rated as good by the Care Quality Commission in Edmonton as of 11 October 2022 constituency.

Will Quince: The Care Quality Commission (CQC) does not currently rate providers of primary dental care services. The Care Quality Commission publishes an assessment against five ‘key aspects’ that determine whether a dental provider is meeting its regulatory requirements. These are:Treating people with respect and involving them in their careProviding care, treatment and support that meets people's needsCaring for people safely and protecting them from harmStaffingQuality and suitability of management The CQC’s website allows the public to search by service type and location to find local dentists and their profiles, which display their regulatory performance and inspection reports.

Diabetes: Podiatry

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to help equip the NHS workforce to meet future increased patient need for treatment for diabetic foot complications.

Will Quince: The General Medical Council and Healthcare Professions Council ensure that graduates are equipped with the skills required to treat patients who come to seek help. It is for individual NHS Employers to ensure that NHS staff have the up to date skills they need to treat patients referred for treatment.Health Education England published in September 2021 “The Standards for the Foot Health Workforce”. Amendments were made to the Standards following the consultation and the final version of the Standards, alongside the consultation findings, were published in May 2022.The Foot Health Standards are part of work that aims to increase the supply of podiatrists in the NHS while expanding the role of the support workforce. The Standards will ensure that the NHS recognises the knowledge and skills of the wider foot health support workforce.

General Practitioners: Bradford South

Judith Cummins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help support the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of GPs in Bradford South constituency.

Will Quince: We are working with NHS England, Health Education England and the profession to increase the general practice workforce in England, including in Bradford South. This includes measures to improve recruitment, address the reasons why doctors leave the profession and encourage them to return to practice.The updated GP Contract Framework announced a number of new schemes, alongside continued support for existing recruitment and retention schemes for the general practice workforce. This includes the GP Retention Scheme, the GP Retention Fund, the National GP Induction and Refresher, the Locum Support Scheme, the New to Partnership Payment and the Supporting Mentors Scheme.

Surgery: Reading East

Matt Rodda: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help reduce waiting times for elective surgeries in Reading East constituency.

Will Quince: The ‘Delivery plan for tackling the COVID-19 backlog of elective care’ sets out how the National Health Service will recover and expand elective services over the next three years, including in Reading East. We have allocated more than £8 billion from 2022/23 to 2024/25, in addition to the £2 billion Elective Recovery Fund and £700 million Targeted Investment Fund already made available in 2021/2022 to increase elective activity. This funding aims to deliver the equivalent of approximately nine million additional checks and procedures and 30% further elective activity by 2024/25 than pre-pandemic levels. A proportion of this funding will be invested in workforce capacity and training and we have committed to invest £5.9 billion for new beds, equipment and technology.The target to eliminate waiting times of two years or more for elective procedures was met in July 2022 and we aim to eliminate waiting time of eighteen months or more by April 2023. This will be achieved through increasing capacity, seeking alternate capacity in other trusts or the independent sector and engaging with patients to understand choices made regarding their care.

Midwives: Bermondsey and Old Southwark

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help support the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of midwives in Bermondsey and Old Southwark constituency.

Will Quince: NHS England retains oversight of local workforce plans and is updated on vacancy rates. However, recruitment and retention is undertaken at trust level.In 2022, an additional £127 million has been invested in the National Health Service maternity workforce and improving neonatal care, including in Bermondsey and Old Southwark. This is in addition to the £95 million invested in 2021 to fund a further 1,200 midwives and 100 consultant obstetricians. The NHS People Plan focuses on improving the retention of NHS staff by prioritising staff health and wellbeing. In 2022/23, £45 million has been allocated to support the continuation of 40 mental health hubs, the Professional Nurse Advocates programme and expanding the NHS Practitioner Health service.

Cancer: Radiotherapy

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the 10-Year Cancer Plan includes specific strategies to improve access to radiotherapy cancer treatments.

Will Quince: Following a call for evidence for a new cancer plan held earlier this year, we received approximately 5,000 responses. Further information will be available in due course.

General Practitioners: Reading East

Matt Rodda: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department has provided additional (a) financial and (b) other support to help tackle (i) patient backlogs and (ii) increased workloads in GP surgeries in Reading East constituency.

Will Quince: The ‘Delivery plan for tackling the COVID-19 backlog of elective care’, published in February 2022, stated the ambition to reduce patient backlogs for planned National Health Service treatments and the government plans to spend more than £8bn from 2022/23 to 2024/25. We made £520 million available to expand general practice capacity during the pandemic. This was in addition to at least £1.5 billion announced in 2020 by 2024 which includes supporting increased workloads in GP surgeries, including in Reading East. In September 2022, ‘Our plan for patients’ announced measures to support GP practices increase access and manage workload such as the provision of 31,000 phone lines and freeing up funding rules to widen the types of staff that work in general practice, including in Reading East.

Cancer: Radiotherapy

Carla Lockhart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the 10-Year Cancer Plan includes specific strategies to improve access to radiotherapy cancer treatments.

Will Quince: Following a call for evidence for a new cancer plan earlier this year, we received 5,000 responses. Further information will be available in due course.

General Practitioners: Liverpool Wavertree

Paula Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her department has provided additional (a) financial and (b) other support to help tackle (i) patient backlogs and (ii) increased workloads in GP surgeries in Liverpool Wavertree constituency.

Will Quince: The ‘Delivery plan for tackling the COVID-19 backlog of elective care’, published in February 2022, stated the ambition to reduce patient backlogs for planned National Health Service treatments and the government plans to spend more than £8bn from 2022/23 to 2024/25. We made £520 million available to expand general practice capacity during the pandemic. This was in addition to at least £1.5 billion announced in 2020 by 2024 which includes supporting increased workloads in General Practice (GP) surgeries, including in Liverpool Wavertree. In September 2022, ‘Our plan for patients’ announced measures to support GP practices increase access and manage workload such as the provision of 31,000 phone lines and freeing up funding rules to widen the types of staff that work in general practice, including in Liverpool Wavertree.

General Practitioners: Worsley and Eccles South

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate her Department has made of the number of FTE Fully qualified GPs, excluding GPs in Training Grade, practicing in Worsley and Eccles South constituency; and what the number was in 2013.

Will Quince: This information is not collected in the format requested.

General Practitioners: Wirral South

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department has provided additional (a) financial and (b) other support to help tackle (i) patient backlogs and (ii) increased workloads in GP surgeries in Wirral South constituency.

Will Quince: The ‘Delivery plan for tackling the COVID-19 backlog of elective care’, published in February 2022, stated the ambition to reduce patient backlogs for planned National Health Service treatments and the government plans to spend more than £8bn from 2022/23 to 2024/25. We made £520 million available to expand general practice capacity during the pandemic. This was in addition to at least £1.5 billion announced in 2020 by 2024 which includes supporting increased workloads in GP surgeries, including in Wirral South. In September 2022, ‘Our plan for patients’ announced measures to support GP practices increase access and manage workload such as the provision of 31,000 phone lines and freeing up funding rules to widen the types of staff that work in general practice, including in Wirral South.

General Practitioners: North Staffordshire

Aaron Bell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of GP appointments were held face-to-face in North Staffordshire in (a) 2019 and (b) 2022.

Will Quince: This information is not collected in the format requested. However, in the 12 months to August 2022, there were 5.82 million general practice appointments in the NHS Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Integrated Care System area, excluding COVID-19 vaccinations. Of these, 64.7% were conducted face to face.

Breast Cancer: Dulwich and West Norwood

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help increase the uptake of breast cancer screening in Dulwich and West Norwood constituency.

Will Quince: The Department is working with NHS England to finalise the delivery of £10 million for breast screening units, including determining which areas will benefit from this investment.National Health Service breast screening providers are also encouraged to work with Cancer Alliances, Primary Care Networks, NHS regional teams and the voluntary sector to promote the uptake of breast screening and ensure access to services.

General Practitioners: Luton South

Rachel Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department has provided additional (a) financial and (b) other support to help tackle (i) patient backlogs and (ii) increased workloads in GP surgeries in Luton South constituency.

Will Quince: The ‘Delivery plan for tackling the COVID-19 backlog of elective care’, published in February 2022, stated the ambition to reduce patient backlogs for planned National Health Service treatments and the government plans to spend more than £8bn from 2022/23 to 2024/25. We made £520 million available to expand general practice capacity during the pandemic. This was in addition to at least £1.5 billion announced in 2020 by 2024 which includes supporting increased workloads in GP surgeries, including in Luton South. In September 2022, ‘Our plan for patients’ announced measures to support GP practices increase access and manage workload such as the provision of 31,000 phone lines and freeing up funding rules to widen the types of staff that work in general practice, including in Luton South.

Dental Services: Ilford North

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help improve access to NHS dental services in Ilford North constituency.

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the NHS dentist provision in Ilford North constituency.

Will Quince: ‘Our plan for patients’ outlines the steps we are taking to meet oral health needs and increase access to dental care, including in Ilford North constituency. No central assessment has been made of the adequacy of the National Health Service (NHS) dentist provision in Ilford North constituency. ‘Our plan for patients’ includes initial improvements to ensure dentists are renumerated fairly for more complex work, allowing greater flexibility to reallocate resources and to utilise dentists with greater capacity to deliver NHS treatment, whilst enabling full use of the dental team. The plan also includes streamlining processes for overseas dentists and holding the local integrated care system to account for dentistry provision. In addition, Health Education England are also delivering a programme to reform dental education which will help recruitment and retention of dental professionals, including NHS dentists and other dental care professionals.

General Practitioners: Wakefield

Simon Lightwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department has provided additional (a) financial and (b) other support to help tackle (i) patient backlogs and (ii) increased workloads in GP surgeries in Wakefield.

Will Quince: The ‘Delivery plan for tackling the COVID-19 backlog of elective care’, published in February 2022, stated the ambition to reduce patient backlogs for planned National Health Service treatments and the government plans to spend more than £8bn from 2022/23 to 2024/25. We made £520 million available to expand general practice capacity during the pandemic. This was in addition to at least £1.5 billion announced in 2020 by 2024 which includes supporting increased workloads in GP surgeries, including in Wakefield. In September 2022, ‘Our plan for patients’ announced measures to support GP practices increase access and manage workload such as the provision of 31,000 phone lines and freeing up funding rules to widen the types of staff that work in general practice, including in Wakefield.

Breast Cancer: Luton South

Rachel Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help increase the uptake of breast cancer screening in Luton South constituency.

Will Quince: The Department is working with NHS England to finalise the delivery of £10 million for breast screening units, including determining which areas will benefit from this investment.National Health Service breast screening providers are also encouraged to work with Cancer Alliances, Primary Care Networks, NHS regional teams and the voluntary sector to promote the uptake of breast screening and ensure access to services.

General Practitioners: Lancaster and Fleetwood

Cat Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate her Department has made of the number of GP practices open in Lancaster and Fleetwood constituency (a) as of 18 October 2022 and (b) in 2013.

Will Quince: In September 2013, there were 11 practices registered in Lancaster and Fleetwood. In October 2022, six practices were registered in this region.Practices close for a variety of reasons, including practice mergers or retirement. A reduction in practice numbers does not indicate a reduction in the quality of care. When a practice closes, patients are informed and advised to register at another local practice of their choice. Practices and commissioners must put in place appropriate measures to ensure that affected patients have access to general practitioner services.

General Practitioners: Nottingham South

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department has provided additional (a) financial and (b) other support to help tackle (i) patient backlogs and (ii) increased workloads in GP surgeries in Nottingham South constituency.

Will Quince: The ‘Delivery plan for tackling the COVID-19 backlog of elective care’, published in February 2022, stated the ambition to reduce patient backlogs for planned National Health Service treatments and the government plans to spend more than £8bn from 2022/23 to 2024/25. We made £520 million available to expand general practice capacity during the pandemic. This was in addition to at least £1.5 billion announced in 2020 by 2024 which includes supporting increased workloads in GP surgeries, including in Nottingham South. In September 2022, ‘Our plan for patients’ announced measures to support GP practices increase access and manage workload such as, the provision of 31,000 phone lines and freeing up funding rules to widen the types of staff that work in general practice, including in Nottingham South.

Breast Cancer: Washington and Sunderland West

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help increase the uptake of breast cancer screening in Washington and Sunderland West constituency.

Will Quince: The Department is working with NHS England to finalise the delivery of £10 million for breast screening units, including determining which areas will benefit from this investment.National Health Service breast screening providers are also encouraged to work with Cancer Alliances, Primary Care Networks, NHS regional teams and the voluntary sector to promote the uptake of breast screening and ensure access to services.

General Practitioners: Ealing North

James Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of GP surgeries were rated as good by the Care Quality Commission in Ealing North constituency as of 18th October 2022.

Will Quince: There are 21 (95.5%) GP Practice locations in the Ealing North constituency currently rated by CQC as Good overall.

General Practitioners: Washington and Sunderland West

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of GP surgeries were rated as good by the Care Quality Commission in Washington and Sunderland West as of 12 October 2022.

Will Quince: As at 12 October 2022, 8 (80%) GP Practices in the Washington and Sunderland West constituency are currently rated by CQC as Good overall.

Dental Services: Bradford South

Judith Cummins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the NHS dentist provision in Bradford South constituency.

Will Quince: No specific assessment has been made. However, NHS England asked dental practices to return to full delivery of contracted activity from July 2022, including in Lancaster and Fleetwood. In September, we announced ‘Our plan for patients’, which outlines how we will meet oral health needs and increase access to dental care, including in Bradford South.The plan includes improvements to ensure dentists are renumerated fairly for more complex work, allowing greater flexibility to reallocate resources and to utilise dentists with greater capacity to deliver National Health Service treatment, whilst enabling full use of the dental team. The plan also includes streamlining processes for overseas dentists and holding the local NHS to account for dentistry provision. In addition, Health Education England is also reforming dental education to improve the recruitment and retention of dental professionals.

Breast Cancer: Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough

Gill Furniss: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help increase the uptake of breast cancer screening in Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough constituency.

Will Quince: The Department is working with NHS England to finalise the delivery of £10 million for breast screening units, including determining which areas will benefit from this investment.National Health Service breast screening providers are also encouraged to work with Cancer Alliances, Primary Care Networks, NHS regional teams and the voluntary sector to promote the uptake of breast screening and ensure access to services.

General Practitioners: Nottingham South

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate her Department has made of the number of GP practices open in Nottingham South constituency; and what that number was in 2013.

Will Quince: In September 2013, there were 22 practices registered in Nottingham South. In October 2022, 16 practices were registered in this region.Practices close for a variety of reasons, including practice mergers or retirement. A reduction in practice numbers does not indicate a reduction in the quality of care. When a practice closes, patients are informed and advised to register at another local practice of their choice. Practices and commissioners must put in place appropriate measures to ensure that affected patients have access to general practitioner services.

Dental Services: Bury South

Christian Wakeford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the NHS dentist provision in Bury South constituency.

Will Quince: No specific assessment has been made. However, NHS England asked dental practices to return to full delivery of contracted activity from July 2022, including in Bury South. In September, we announced ‘Our plan for patients’, which outlines how we will meet oral health needs and increase access to dental care, including in Bury South.The plan includes improvements to ensure dentists are renumerated fairly for more complex work, allowing greater flexibility to reallocate resources and to utilise dentists with greater capacity to deliver National Health Service treatment, whilst enabling full use of the dental team. The plan also includes streamlining processes for overseas dentists and holding the local NHS to account for dentistry provision. In addition, Health Education England is also reforming dental education to improve the recruitment and retention of dental professionals.

General Practitioners: Wirral West

Margaret Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many GP appointments there were in Wirral West constituency in (a) the last 12 months and (b) in 2013.

Will Quince: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Wirral South on 18 October 2022 to Question 61077.

Health Professions: Registration

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an assessment of whether professional registration fees for healthcare staff in the NHS represent value for money.

Will Quince: Regulators of health and care professionals are funded by fees charged to registrants, which ensures independence from the Government. The level of fees charged is set by regulators, with each amendment requiring a public consultation which provides information relating to the proposed fee change.

General Practitioners: Bolton South East

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department has provided additional (a) financial and (b) other support to help tackle (i) patient backlogs and (ii) increased workloads in GP surgeries in Bolton South East constituency.

Will Quince: The ‘Delivery plan for tackling the COVID-19 backlog of elective care’, published in February 2022, stated the ambition to reduce patient backlogs for planned National Health Service treatments and the government plans to spend more than £8bn from 2022/23 to 2024/25. We made £520 million available to expand general practice capacity during the pandemic. This was in addition to at least £1.5 billion announced in 2020 by 2024 which includes supporting increased workloads in GP surgeries, including in Bolton South East. In September 2022, ‘Our plan for patients’ announced measures to support GP practices increase access and manage workload such as, the provision of 31,000 phone lines and freeing up funding rules to widen the types of staff that work in general practice, including in Bolton South East.

Breast Cancer: Bolton South East

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help increase the uptake of breast cancer screening in Bolton South East constituency.

Will Quince: The Department is working with NHS England to finalise the delivery of £10 million for breast screening units, including determining which areas will benefit from this investment.National Health Service breast screening providers are also encouraged to work with Cancer Alliances, Primary Care Networks, NHS regional teams and the voluntary sector to promote the uptake of breast screening and ensure access to services.

General Practitioners: Nottingham South

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate her Department has made of the number of FTE fully qualified GPs, excluding GPs in Training Grade, practicing in Nottingham South constituency; and what that number was in 2013.

Will Quince: This information is not collected in the format requested.

Midwives: Barking and Dagenham

Dame Margaret Hodge: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help support the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of midwives in Barking and Dagenham.

Will Quince: NHS England retains oversight of local workforce plans and is updated on vacancy rates. However, recruitment and retention is undertaken at trust level.In 2022, an additional £127 million has been invested in the National Health Service maternity workforce and improving neonatal care, including in Barking and Dagenham. This is in addition to the £95 million invested in 2021 to fund a further 1,200 midwives and 100 consultant obstetricians. The NHS People Plan focuses on improving the retention of NHS staff by prioritising staff health and wellbeing. In 2022/23, £45 million has been allocated to support the continuation of 40 mental health hubs, the Professional Nurse Advocates programme and expanding the NHS Practitioner Health service.

Breast Cancer: Easington

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help increase the uptake of breast cancer screening in Easington constituency.

Will Quince: The Department is working with NHS England to finalise the delivery of £10 million for breast screening units, including determining which areas will benefit from this investment.National Health Service breast screening providers are also encouraged to work with Cancer Alliances, Primary Care Networks, NHS regional teams and the voluntary sector to promote the uptake of breast screening and ensure access to services.

General Practitioners: Plymouth Sutton and Devonport

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of GP surgeries were rated as good by the Care Quality Commission in Plymouth Sutton and Devonport constituency at the most recent date of which data is available.

Will Quince: As of 12 October 2022, 9 (100%) GP Practices in the Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport constituency are currently rated by CQC as Good overall.

Diabetes: Easington

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people were diagnosed with diabetes in Easington constituency in each of the last five years.

Will Quince: The following table shows the number of people that were diagnosed with diabetes in Easington constituency in each of the calendar years from 2016 to 2020, broken down by diabetes type. Year of diagnosisNumber of people diagnosed with diabetesType 1Type 2 and Other201620315201715380201825400201910420202025375 Source: National Diabetes AuditNotes:A person may have more than 1 diabetes diagnosis within the National Diabetes Audit. In this case, an algorithm is used to derive the best diagnosis date and diabetes type for each person. This is used in the analysis above.Disclosure control has been applied to all figures, as per the National Diabetes Audit publication – all numbers are rounded to the nearest 5, unless the number is 1 to 7, in which case it is rounded to ‘5’.Diabetes type is reported as ‘Type 1’ and ‘Type 2 and other’ within the National Diabetes Audit.‘Type 1’ includes where a person is recorded as having Type 1 diabetes in the National Diabetes Audit.‘Type 2 and other’ includes where a person is recorded as having Type 2 diabetes, Maturity-onset Diabetes of the Young, other or non-specified diabetes in the National Diabetes Audit.

Breast Cancer: Liverpool Wavertree

Paula Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help increase the uptake of breast cancer screening in Liverpool Wavertree.

Will Quince: The Department is working with NHS England to finalise the delivery of £10 million for breast screening units, including determining which areas will benefit from this investment.National Health Service breast screening providers are also encouraged to work with Cancer Alliances, Primary Care Networks, NHS regional teams and the voluntary sector to promote the uptake of breast screening and ensure access to services.

Dental Services: Easington

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help improve access to NHS dental services in the Easington constituency.

Will Quince: NHS England asked dental practices to return to full delivery of contracted activity from July 2022, including in Easington. In September, we announced ‘Our plan for patients’, which outlines how we will meet oral health needs and increase access to dental care, including in Easington.The plan includes improvements to ensure dentists are renumerated fairly for more complex work, allowing greater flexibility to reallocate resources and to utilise dentists with greater capacity to deliver National Health Service treatment, whilst enabling full use of the dental team. The plan also includes streamlining processes for overseas dentists and holding the local NHS to account for dentistry provision. In addition, Health Education England is also reforming dental education to improve the recruitment and retention of dental professionals.

Dental Services: Stockport

Navendu Mishra: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the NHS dentist provision in Stockport constituency.

Will Quince: No specific assessment has been made. However, NHS England asked dental practices to return to full delivery of contracted activity from July 2022, including in Stockport. In September, we announced ‘Our plan for patients’, which outlines how we will meet oral health needs and increase access to dental care, including in Stockport.The plan includes improvements to ensure dentists are renumerated fairly for more complex work, allowing greater flexibility to reallocate resources and to utilise dentists with greater capacity to deliver National Health Service treatment, whilst enabling full use of the dental team. The plan also includes streamlining processes for overseas dentists and holding the local NHS to account for dentistry provision. In addition, Health Education England is also reforming dental education to improve the recruitment and retention of dental professionals.

Dental Services: Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough

Gill Furniss: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help improve access to NHS dental services in Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough constituency.

Will Quince: NHS England asked dental practices to return to full delivery of contracted activity from July 2022, including in Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough. In September, we announced ‘Our plan for patients’, which outlines how we will meet oral health needs and increase access to dental care, including in Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough.The plan includes improvements to ensure dentists are renumerated fairly for more complex work, allowing greater flexibility to reallocate resources and to utilise dentists with greater capacity to deliver National Health Service treatment, whilst enabling full use of the dental team. The plan also includes streamlining processes for overseas dentists and holding the local NHS to account for dentistry provision. In addition, Health Education England is also reforming dental education to improve the recruitment and retention of dental professionals.

Ophthalmic Services

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will take steps to help promote better eye care to help prevent sight loss conditions.

Will Quince: Health is a devolved matter. Many people qualify for a free eye test and optical vouchers to contribute towards the cost of glasses, with over 12 million National Health Service sight tests provided in England in 2021/22.The NHS is ensuring that high quality, sustainable eye care services are available in the future, following the impact of the pandemic. We are also supporting research into diagnosis, prevention and treatment of eye conditions, including a £20 million award to the National Institute for Health and Care Research’s Moorfields Biomedical Research Centre for vision research.

Diabetes: Health Services

Dame Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans her Department has to help improve diabetes care in the NHS.

Will Quince: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has provided guidance to NHS England on the clinical and cost effectiveness of selected new and established technologies. Diabetes care remains a key priority for the Government and is committed to drive research and innovation to improve diabetes care.A Recovery Fund was established in 2021/22 and is being made available to Integrated Care Systems to support not only recovery of routine care but also delivery of the NHS Long Term Plan commitments. This includes the provision of Multidisciplinary Footcare Teams of highly trained specialist diabetic foot personnel with expertise in lower limb complications; Diabetes Inpatient Specialist Nurses; and actions that increase achievement of treatment targets.

Dental Services: Slough

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help improve access to NHS dental services in Slough constituency.

Will Quince: No specific assessment has been made. However, NHS England asked dental practices to return to full delivery of contracted activity from July 2022, including Slough. In September, we announced ‘Our plan for patients’, which outlines how we will meet oral health needs and increase access to dental care, including in Slough.The plan includes improvements to ensure dentists are renumerated fairly for more complex work, allowing greater flexibility to reallocate resources and to utilise dentists with greater capacity to deliver National Health Service treatment, whilst enabling full use of the dental team. The plan also includes streamlining processes for overseas dentists and holding the local NHS to account for dentistry provision. In addition, Health Education England is also reforming dental education to improve the recruitment and retention of dental professionals.

NHS England: Racial Discrimination

Janet Daby: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of complaints received by NHS England in each reporting year since 2017 have been related to racism.

Will Quince: We are informed by NHS England (NHSE) that data relating to complaints about racism is not collected centrally by the organisation. NHSE receives complaints made by, or on behalf of, patients only in relation to the services it commissions however this represents a very small proportion of the overall complaints received by the National Health Service (NHS). Data on complaints made by, or on behalf of, patients about NHS services provided by NHS Trusts and General Practices and Dental practices is collected and published by NHS Digital on behalf of the Department of Health and Social Care and can be found at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/data-on-written-complaints-in-the-nhs Neither of these collections include a classification that would allow NHS Digital to identify numbers of complaints relating to racism. It is possible that such information is collected by NHS organisations who directly manage their complaints locally.

Diabetes: Podiatry

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she plans to have discussions with podiatrists on the future of NHS treatment for diabetic foot complications.

Will Quince: The Department currently has no plans to have discussions with podiatrists on this topic. A national Recovery Fund was established in 2021/22 with the aim of supporting recovery of routine diabetes care with innovative projects. This funding will support the recovery of routine care but also delivery of the NHS Long Term Plan commitments which includes: the provision of Multidisciplinary Footcare Teams (MDFT); Diabetes Inpatient Specialist Nurses (DISN); and actions that increase achievement of treatment targets.

General Practitioners: Ellesmere Port and Neston

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help support the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of GPs in Ellesmere Port and Neston constituency.

Will Quince: We are working with NHS England, Health Education England and the profession to increase the general practice workforce in England, including in Ellesmere Port and Neston. This includes measures to improve recruitment, address the reasons why doctors leave the profession and encourage them to return to practice.The updated GP Contract Framework announced a number of new schemes, alongside continued support for existing recruitment and retention schemes for the general practice workforce. This includes the GP Retention Scheme, the GP Retention Fund, the National GP Induction and Refresher, the Locum Support Scheme, the New to Partnership Payment and the Supporting Mentors Scheme.

General Practitioners: Garston and Halewood

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if her Department will take steps to increase the availability of face-to-face GP appointments in Garston and Halewood constituency.

Will Quince: On 22 September 2022, we announced ‘Our plan for patients’, which contains measures to assist people make an informed choice on their general practitioner (GP) practice, book an appointment more easily, benefit from more care options and increase the diversity of general practice teams. This aims to increase the availability of appointment types, such as face-to-face, in England, including in Garston Halewood. NHS England’s guidance states that GP practices must provide face to face appointments and remote consultations and should respect preferences for face-to-face care unless there are good clinical reasons to the contrary.  While remote consultations can provide additional choice, flexibility and convenience for patients, this is not suitable for all patients or in all circumstances.

General Practitioners: Worsley and Eccles South

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help support the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of GPs in Worsley and Eccles South constituency.

Will Quince: We are working with NHS England, Health Education England and the profession to increase the general practice workforce in England, including in Worsley and Eccles South. This includes measures to improve recruitment, address the reasons why doctors leave the profession and encourage them to return to practice.The updated GP Contract Framework announced a number of new schemes, alongside continued support for existing recruitment and retention schemes for the general practice workforce. This includes the GP Retention Scheme, the GP Retention Fund, the National GP Induction and Refresher, the Locum Support Scheme, the New to Partnership Payment and the Supporting Mentors Scheme.

Breast Cancer: Screening

Dame Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 29 March 2022 to Question 146652 on Breast Cancer: Screening, whether it is his Department’s policy that women who were invited for breast screenings while covid-19 restrictions were in place in 2020-21 but did not attend are still able to book an appointment.

Will Quince: Women who missed their breast screening appointment due to the COVID-19 pandemic can contact their local National Health Service breast screening service to arrange another appointment through NHS.UK.

Respiratory System: Diseases

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the NHS Long Term Plan, published on 7 January 2019, what recent progress her Department has made on increasing access to echocardiography in primary care to improve the investigation of patients with breathlessness.

Will Quince: People with heart failure will be supported by multi-disciplinary teams as part of Primary Care Networks and greater access to echocardiography within community diagnostic centres (CDCs). This aims to improve the investigation of those with breathlessness and the early detection of heart failure and heart valve disease. The National Health Service has launched over 80 CDCs to provide over two million diagnostic tests such as magnetic resonance imaging scans, echocardiography, echocardiograms, spirometry and phlebotomy.

Long Covid: Research

Carla Lockhart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to better understand ongoing symptoms following covid-19 infection.

Will Quince: The Government has invested £50 million in a research programme to address the long term physical and mental health effects of COVID-19. These studies will use the available evidence to identify the causes and treatments to help those affected to recover. We are also monitoring research being undertaken internationally.

General Practitioners: York

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if her Department will take steps to increase the availability of face-to-face GP appointments in (a) York and (b) York Central constituency.

Will Quince: On 22 September 2022, we announced ‘Our plan for patients’, which contains measures to assist people make an informed choice on their general practitioner (GP) practice, book an appointment more easily, benefit from more care options and increase the diversity of general practice teams. This aims to increase the availability of appointment types, such as face-to-face, in England, including in York and York Central. NHS England’s guidance states that GP practices must provide face to face appointments and remote consultations and should respect preferences for face-to-face care unless there are good clinical reasons to the contrary.  While remote consultations can provide additional choice, flexibility and convenience for patients, this is not suitable for all patients or in all circumstances.

General Practitioners: Ealing North

James Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if her Department will take steps to increase the availability of face-to-face GP appointments in Ealing North constituency.

Will Quince: On 22 September 2022, we announced ‘Our plan for patients’, which contains measures to assist people make an informed choice on their general practitioner (GP) practice, book an appointment more easily, benefit from more care options and increase the diversity of general practice teams. This aims to increase the availability of appointment types, such as face-to-face, in England, including in Ealing North. NHS England’s guidance states that GP practices must provide face to face appointments and remote consultations and should respect preferences for face-to-face care unless there are good clinical reasons to the contrary.  While remote consultations can provide additional choice, flexibility and convenience for patients, this is not suitable for all patients or in all circumstances.

General Practitioners: Wirral South

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help support the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of GPs in Wirral South constituency.

Will Quince: We are working with NHS England, Health Education England and the profession to increase the general practice workforce in England, including in Wirral South This includes measures to improve recruitment, address the reasons why doctors leave the profession and encourage them to return to practice.The updated GP Contract Framework announced a number of new schemes, alongside continued support for existing recruitment and retention schemes for the general practice workforce. This includes the GP Retention Scheme, the GP Retention Fund, the National GP Induction and Refresher, the Locum Support Scheme, the New to Partnership Payment and the Supporting Mentors Scheme.

General Practitioners: Streatham

Bell Ribeiro-Addy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help support the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of GPs in Streatham constituency.

Will Quince: We are working with NHS England, Health Education England and the profession to increase the general practice workforce in England, including in Streatham. This includes measures to improve recruitment, address the reasons why doctors leave the profession and encourage them to return to practice.The updated GP Contract Framework announced a number of new schemes, alongside continued support for existing recruitment and retention schemes for the general practice workforce. This includes the GP Retention Scheme, the GP Retention Fund, the National GP Induction and Refresher, the Locum Support Scheme, the New to Partnership Payment and the Supporting Mentors Scheme.

General Practitioners: Wirral West

Margaret Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help support the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of GPs in Wirral West constituency.

Will Quince: We are working with NHS England, Health Education England and the profession to increase the general practice workforce in England, including in Wirral West. This includes measures to improve recruitment, address the reasons why doctors leave the profession and encourage them to return to practice.The updated GP Contract Framework announced a number of new schemes, alongside continued support for existing recruitment and retention schemes for the general practice workforce. This includes the GP Retention Scheme, the GP Retention Fund, the National GP Induction and Refresher, the Locum Support Scheme, the New to Partnership Payment and the Supporting Mentors Scheme.

General Practitioners: Bradford East

Imran Hussain: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if her Department will take steps to increase the availability of face-to-face GP appointments in Bradford East constituency.

Will Quince: On 22 September 2022, we announced ‘Our plan for patients’, which contains measures to assist people make an informed choice on their general practitioner (GP) practice, book an appointment more easily, benefit from more care options and increase the diversity of general practice teams. This aims to increase the availability of appointment types, such as face-to-face, in England, including in Bradford East. NHS England’s guidance states that GP practices must provide face to face appointments and remote consultations and should respect preferences for face-to-face care unless there are good clinical reasons to the contrary.  While remote consultations can provide additional choice, flexibility and convenience for patients, this is not suitable for all patients or in all circumstances.

General Practitioners: Walsall South

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help support the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of GPs in Walsall South constituency.

Will Quince: We are working with NHS England, Health Education England and the profession to increase the general practice workforce in England, including in Walsall South. This includes measures to improve recruitment, address the reasons why doctors leave the profession and encourage them to return to practice.The updated GP Contract Framework announced a number of new schemes, alongside continued support for existing recruitment and retention schemes for the general practice workforce. This includes the GP Retention Scheme, the GP Retention Fund, the National GP Induction and Refresher, the Locum Support Scheme, the New to Partnership Payment and the Supporting Mentors Scheme.

General Practitioners: Dulwich and West Norwood

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help support the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of GPs in Dulwich and West Norwood constituency.

Will Quince: We are working with NHS England, Health Education England and the profession to increase the general practice workforce in England, including in Dulwich and West Norwood. This includes measures to improve recruitment, address the reasons why doctors leave the profession and encourage them to return to practice.The updated GP Contract Framework announced a number of new schemes, alongside continued support for existing recruitment and retention schemes for the general practice workforce. This includes the GP Retention Scheme, the GP Retention Fund, the National GP Induction and Refresher, the Locum Support Scheme, the New to Partnership Payment and the Supporting Mentors Scheme. We are working with NHS England, Health Education England and the profession to increase the general practice workforce in England, including in Dulwich and West Norwood. This includes measures to improve recruitment, address the reasons why doctors leave the profession and encourage them to return to practice.The updated GP Contract Framework announced a number of new schemes, alongside continued support for existing recruitment and retention schemes for the general practice workforce. This includes the GP Retention Scheme, the GP Retention Fund, the National GP Induction and Refresher, the Locum Support Scheme, the New to Partnership Payment and the Supporting Mentors Scheme.

NHS: Wirral West

Margaret Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what (a) financial and (b) other steps her Department is taking to help tackle NHS workforce shortages in Wirral West constituency.

Will Quince: The Department has commissioned NHS England to develop a long-term workforce plan. The plan will consider the number of staff and the roles required and will set out the actions and reforms needed to improve workforce supply and retention, including in Wirral West.

NHS: Plymouth Sutton and Devonport

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what (a) financial and (b) other steps her Department is taking to help tackle NHS workforce shortages in Plymouth Sutton and Devonport constituency.

Will Quince: The Department has commissioned NHS England to develop a long-term workforce plan. The plan will consider the number of staff and the roles required and will set out the actions and reforms needed to improve workforce supply and retention, including in Sutton and Devonport.

NHS: Washington and Sunderland West

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what (a) financial and (b) other steps her Department is taking to help tackle NHS workforce shortages in Washington and Sunderland West constituency.

Will Quince: The Department has commissioned NHS England to develop a long-term workforce plan. The plan will consider the number of staff and the roles required and will set out the actions and reforms needed to improve workforce supply and retention, including in Washington and Sunderland West.

General Practitioners: Reading East

Matt Rodda: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if her Department will take steps to increase the availability of face-to-face GP appointments in Reading East constituency.

Will Quince: On 22 September 2022, we announced ‘Our plan for patients’, which contains measures to assist people make an informed choice on their general practitioner (GP) practice, book an appointment more easily, benefit from more care options and increase the diversity of general practice teams. This aims to increase the availability of appointment types, such as face-to-face, in England, including in Reading East. NHS England’s guidance states that GP practices must provide face to face appointments and remote consultations and should respect preferences for face-to-face care unless there are good clinical reasons to the contrary.  While remote consultations can provide additional choice, flexibility and convenience for patients, this is not suitable for all patients or in all circumstances.

Diabetes: Stockport

Navendu Mishra: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people were diagnosed with diabetes in Stockport constituency in each of the last five years.

Will Quince: The following table shows the number of people that were diagnosed with diabetes in Stockport constituency in each of the calendar years from 2016 to 2020, broken down by diabetes type.Year of diagnosisNumber of people diagnosed with diabetesType 1Type 2 and Other201615410201715280201820380201925310202015325 Source: National Diabetes AuditNotes:A person may have more than 1 diabetes diagnosis within the National Diabetes Audit. In this case, an algorithm is used to derive the best diagnosis date and diabetes type for each person. This is used in the analysis above.Disclosure control has been applied to all figures, as per the National Diabetes Audit publication – all numbers are rounded to the nearest 5, unless the number is 1 to 7, in which case it is rounded to ‘5’.Diabetes type is reported as ‘Type 1’ and ‘Type 2 and other’ within the National Diabetes Audit.‘Type 1’ includes where a person is recorded as having Type 1 diabetes in the National Diabetes Audit.‘Type 2 and other’ includes where a person is recorded as having Type 2 diabetes, Maturity-onset Diabetes of the Young, other or non-specified diabetes in the National Diabetes Audit.

Diabetes: Walsall South

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people were diagnosed with diabetes in Walsall South constituency in each of the last five years.

Will Quince: The following table shows number of people that were diagnosed with diabetes in Walsall South constituency in each of the calendar years from 2016 to 2020, broken down by diabetes type. Year of diagnosisNumber of people diagnosed with diabetesType 1Type 2 and Other201610450201715485201825505201915500202015375 Source: National Diabetes AuditNotes:A person may have more than 1 diabetes diagnosis within the National Diabetes Audit. In this case, an algorithm is used to derive the best diagnosis date and diabetes type for each person. This is used in the analysis above.Disclosure control has been applied to all figures, as per the National Diabetes Audit publication – all numbers are rounded to the nearest 5, unless the number is 1 to 7, in which case it is rounded to ‘5’.Diabetes type is reported as ‘Type 1’ and ‘Type 2 and other’ within the National Diabetes Audit.‘Type 1’ includes where a person is recorded as having Type 1 diabetes in the National Diabetes Audit.‘Type 2 and other’ includes where a person is recorded as having Type 2 diabetes, Maturity-onset Diabetes of the Young, other or non-specified diabetes in the National Diabetes Audit.

Breast Cancer: York

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help increase the uptake of breast cancer screening in (a) York Central constituency and (b) York.

Will Quince: The Department is working with NHS England to finalise the delivery of £10 million for breast screening units, including determining which areas will benefit from this investment.National Health Service breast screening providers are also encouraged to work with Cancer Alliances, Primary Care Networks, NHS regional teams and the voluntary sector to promote the uptake of breast screening and ensure access to services.

General Practitioners: Luton South

Rachel Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if her Department will take steps to increase the availability of face-to-face GP appointments in Luton South constituency.

Will Quince: On 22 September 2022, we announced ‘Our plan for patients’, which contains measures to assist people make an informed choice on their general practitioner (GP) practice, book an appointment more easily, benefit from more care options and increase the diversity of general practice teams. This aims to increase the availability of appointment types, such as face-to-face, in England, including in Luton South. NHS England’s guidance states that GP practices must provide face to face appointments and remote consultations and should respect preferences for face-to-face care unless there are good clinical reasons to the contrary.  While remote consultations can provide additional choice, flexibility and convenience for patients, this is not suitable for all patients or in all circumstances.

NHS: Walsall South

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what (a) financial and (b) other steps her Department is taking to help tackle NHS workforce shortages in Walsall South constituency.

Will Quince: The Department has commissioned NHS England to develop a long-term workforce plan. The plan will consider the number of staff and the roles required and will set out the actions and reforms needed to improve workforce supply and retention, including in Walsall South.

Surgery: Warrington North

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate her Department has made of the number of cancelled operations in Warrington North constituency in the last 12 months.

Will Quince: This information is not collected in the format requested.

Diabetes: Garston and Halewood

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people were diagnosed with diabetes in Garston and Halewood constituency in each of the last five years.

Will Quince: The following table shows the number of people that were diagnosed with diabetes in Garston and Halewood constituency in each of the calendar years from 2016 to 2020, broken down by diabetes type. Year of diagnosisNumber of people diagnosed with diabetesType 1Type 2 and Other201615420201715340201815450201925510202010295 Source: National Diabetes AuditNotes:A person may have more than 1 diabetes diagnosis within the National Diabetes Audit. In this case, an algorithm is used to derive the best diagnosis date and diabetes type for each person. This is used in the analysis above.Disclosure control has been applied to all figures, as per the National Diabetes Audit publication – all numbers are rounded to the nearest 5, unless the number is 1 to 7, in which case it is rounded to ‘5’.Diabetes type is reported as ‘Type 1’ and ‘Type 2 and other’ within the National Diabetes Audit.‘Type 1’ includes where a person is recorded as having Type 1 diabetes in the National Diabetes Audit.‘Type 2 and other’ includes where a person is recorded as having Type 2 diabetes, Maturity-onset Diabetes of the Young, other or non-specified diabetes in the National Diabetes Audit.

NHS: Software

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many adults in England have the NHS app installed on their smartphone as of 11 October 2022.

Will Quince: As of 11 October 2022, there were 30,280,878 registered users of the NHS App.

General Practitioners: Worsley and Eccles South

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate her Department has made of the number of GP appointments in Worsley and Eccles South constituency (a) in the past 12 months and (b) in 2013.

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate her Department has made of the proportion of GP appointments in Worsley and Eccles South constituency conducted face-to-face in (a) the past 12 months and (b) 2013.

Will Quince: This information is not collected in the format requested. In the 12 months to August 2022, there were 15.07 million general practice appointments in the NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care System area, excluding COVID-19 vaccinations. Of these, 59.6% were conducted face-to-face.

Neurology: Waiting Lists

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment her Department has made of Integrated Care System plans to address the current backlog for neurology services in England.

Will Quince: No formal assessment has been made. NHS England ensures that integrated care systems have plans in place to meet local need through its national and regional teams.

Gastrointestinal System: Surgery

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 22 September 2022 to Question 49137 on Gastrointestinal System: Surgery, whether her Department has made an estimate of the number of patients living with (a) colostomy, (b) ileostomy and (c) urostomy following their operation.

Will Quince: This information is not held in the format requested.

Diabetes: Bermondsey and Old Southwark

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people were diagnosed with diabetes in Bermondsey and Old Southwark constituency in each of the last five years.

Will Quince: The following table shows the number of people that were diagnosed with diabetes in Bermondsey and Old Southwark constituency in each of the calendar years from 2016 to 2020, broken down by diabetes type.Year of diagnosisNumber of people diagnosed with diabetesType 1Type 2 and Other201625585201720440201810560201925465202015405 Source: National Diabetes AuditNotes:A person may have more than 1 diabetes diagnosis within the National Diabetes Audit. In this case, an algorithm is used to derive the best diagnosis date and diabetes type for each person. This is used in the analysis above.Disclosure control has been applied to all figures, as per the National Diabetes Audit publication – all numbers are rounded to the nearest 5, unless the number is 1 to 7, in which case it is rounded to ‘5’.Diabetes type is reported as ‘Type 1’ and ‘Type 2 and other’ within the National Diabetes Audit.‘Type 1’ includes where a person is recorded as having Type 1 diabetes in the National Diabetes Audit.‘Type 2 and other’ includes where a person is recorded as having Type 2 diabetes, Maturity-onset Diabetes of the Young, other or non-specified diabetes in the National Diabetes Audit.

NHS: Ilford North

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what (a) financial and (b) other steps her Department is taking to help tackle NHS workforce shortages in the Ilford North constituency.

Will Quince: The Department has commissioned NHS England to develop a long-term workforce plan. The plan will consider the number of staff and the roles required and will set out the actions and reforms needed to improve workforce supply and retention, including in Ilford North.

Podiatry: Halton

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment she has made (a) podiatry vacancy rates in the NHS in Halton constituency and (b) the impact these vacancies will have on patient treatment for diabetic foot complications.

Will Quince: No specific assessment has been made as this information is not collected in the format requested.

NHS: Bradford South

Judith Cummins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what (a) financial and (b) other steps her Department is taking to help tackle NHS workforce shortages in Bradford South constituency.

Will Quince: The Department has commissioned NHS England to develop a long-term workforce plan. The plan will consider the number of staff and the roles required and will set out the actions and reforms needed to improve workforce supply and retention, including in Bradford South.

NHS: Garston and Halewood

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what (a) financial and (b) other steps her Department is taking to help tackle NHS workforce shortages in Garston and Halewood constituency.

Will Quince: The Department has commissioned NHS England to develop a long-term workforce plan. The plan will consider the number of staff and the roles required and will set out the actions and reforms needed to improve workforce supply and retention, including in Garston and Halewood.

Health and Care Professions Council: Fees and Charges

Liz Twist: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will discourage the Health and Care Professions Council from proceeding with proposals to increase their registrants’ fees by 20 per cent.

Liz Twist: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the potential impact on staff retention of the 20 per cent rise in registration fees proposed by the Health and Care Professions Council.

Will Quince: No specific assessment has been made. The Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) is independent of Government and is responsible for setting its registration fees policy. Any changes to its fees are included in rules which must be laid before Parliament.On 22 September 2022, the HCPC opened a consultation on a proposal to increase the fees it charges registrants and applicants, which is due to close on 15 December 2022. The HCPC published an online equality impact assessment alongside its consultation document.

NHS: Worsley and Eccles South

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what (a) financial and (b) other steps her Department is taking to help tackle NHS workforce shortages in Worsley and Eccles South constituency.

Will Quince: The Department has commissioned NHS England to develop a long-term workforce plan. The plan will consider the number of staff and the roles required and will set out the actions and reforms needed to improve workforce supply and retention, including in Worsley and Eccles South.

Abortion: Health Services

Dame Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what priorities she has set for improving access to abortion care for women and girls.

Dr Caroline Johnson: Under the 1967 Abortion Act, women have access to safe, legal and regulated abortion services, which includes the option of taking both pills for early medical abortion at home.The Department is working with NHS England, the Care Quality Commission and abortion providers to ensure women have timely access to abortion services, including telemedicine abortion services on a permanent basis and that all women are offered a choice of a face-to-face appointment.

Community First Responders: Recruitment and Training

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Government's plan for patients announced on 22 September 2022, what plans she has for the recruitment and training of first responders.

Will Quince: Individual ambulance services are responsible for the recruitment, deployment and training of Community First Responders.

NHS: Lancaster and Fleetwood

Cat Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what (a) financial and (b) other steps her Department is taking to help tackle NHS workforce shortages in Lancaster and Fleetwood constituency.

Will Quince: The Department has commissioned NHS England to develop a long-term workforce plan. The plan will consider the number of staff and the roles required and will set out the actions and reforms needed to improve workforce supply and retention, including in Lancaster and Fleetwood.

Midwives: Training

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans she has to increase the number of student midwife training places in future years.

Will Quince: We committed to expand midwifery training places by 3,650 over a four-year period, with an increase of 650 in September 2019 and 1,000 in each of the subsequent years. Health Education England has been working with stakeholders to support this commitment and we are confident of achieving the overall target by the end of 2022/23.

Princess Royal Hospital Telford: Accident and Emergency Departments

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department's proposal for an A&E Local model at Telford Princess Royal Hospital would provide 24-hour, 7-day a week urgent care for local residents.

Will Quince: The new accident and emergency local model at Telford providing 24-hour, seven-day a week enhanced urgent care for residents is one component of the service changes outlined in the recently approved Strategic Outline Case for the Hospitals Transformation Programme.

Skin Diseases: Health Services

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the findings of the report entitled Not Just Skin Deep, published by Allergy UK in November 2021, that more than one quarter of atopic dermatitis patients are waiting for longer than a year for a referral to specialist care, what steps she is taking to improve access to specialist dermatological care.

Will Quince: On 22 September 2022, we published ‘Our plan for patients’ which committed to eliminate long waiting times of over a year for elective care by March 2025, including in dermatology services.We have allocated more than £8 billion from 2022/23 to 2024/25, in addition to the £2 billion Elective Recovery Fund and £700 million Targeted Investment Fund already made available in 2021/2022 to increase elective activity. The ‘Delivery plan for tackling the COVID-19 backlog of elective care’ sets out the ambition to improve access to specialist advice and guidance to general practitioners and support the management of patients awaiting specialist care.

Food: Chemicals

Geraint Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of removing legal limits on chemical contaminants in food on public health.

Dr Caroline Johnson: The Government is ensuring that food safety standards and consumer protection are maintained and improved. The powers set out in the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill will preserve and incorporate necessary retained European Union law ahead of the proposed expiration in 2023, including legislation safeguarding against the risk of chemical contaminants in food.The independent Food Standards Agency (FSA), working with Food Standards Scotland, is participating in the review of all retained EU law within its areas of responsibility. The FSA advise Ministers, Welsh Ministers and the Northern Ireland Executive as appropriate. Consumer safety or the ability of business to trade during this review will not be compromised.

Polio: Vaccination

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to encourage parents in London to vaccinate their children against polio.

Dr Caroline Johnson: Following advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, the National Health Service is offering a polio vaccine booster all children in London aged one to nine years old. All eligible children are being invited for a dose as soon as possible and reminders will be sent to those who have not yet taken up the offer.The Department is working with NHS England and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) to encourage high uptake of this booster dose, including in under-served communities and in groups with historically lower vaccination rates. This has included social media campaigns, press releases in national and local media, paid press and billboard ads, digital screens in pharmacies and newsletters.

Ambulance Services: Yorkshire and the Humber

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to review the staff shortages in the Yorkshire Ambulance Service.

Will Quince: NHS England advises there are currently no specific shortages of staff within the Yorkshire Ambulance Service. NHS England has allocated an additional £150 million for ambulance services in 2022/23 to support improvements to response times through additional call handler recruitment, retention and other funding requirements.The number of National Health Service ambulance staff and support staff has increased by almost 40% since April 2010. Health Education England has a mandated target to train 3,000 paramedic graduates nationally per annum from 2021 to 2024.

Cancer: Weaver Vale

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what additional measures and resources she plans to put in place to tackle the backlog of cancer (a) diagnosis, (b) care and (c) treatment in Weaver Vale constituency.

Will Quince: We have committed a further £8 billion from 2022/23 to 2024/25, in addition to the £2 billion Elective Recovery Fund and £700 million targeted Investment Fund made available in 2021/22 to increase capacity in elective services, including for cancer diagnosis and treatment. The ‘Delivery plan for tackling the COVID-19 backlog of elective care’ targets returning the number of people waiting more than 62 days to start treatment following an urgent referral due to suspected cancer to pre-pandemic levels by March 2023 and to meet the Faster Diagnosis Standard by March 2024.Cheshire and Merseyside Cancer Alliance (CMCA) is committed to reducing backlogs in cancer diagnosis, treatment and care; raising awareness of the need for early detection of cancer; reducing inequalities in access to cancer services; and championing innovations in finding cancer at the earliest stages.

Health Services: Females

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department has taken since the publication of the Women’s Health Strategy to encourage the expansion of women’s health hubs.

Dr Caroline Johnson: The Women’s Health Strategy aims to develop local pathways to improve access to services, such as through women’s health hubs. The Strategy encourages local commissioners and providers to consider adopting these models of care. We have commissioned the National Institute for Health and Care Research-funded Birmingham, RAND Europe and Cambridge Rapid Evaluation Centre to undertake scoping work for an evaluation of existing women’s health hubs. This is expected to conclude in early 2023.

Doctors

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to ensure that there are sufficient full-time equivalent consultants to meet patient demand over the next (a) five, (b) ten and (c) 20 years; and if she will make a statement.

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment her Department has made of the whether the number of full-time equivalent consultants will be adequate to meet patient demand over the next (a) five, (b) 10 and (c) 20 years; and if she will make a statement.

Will Quince: The Government has funded an additional 1,500 undergraduate medical school places each year for domestic students in England and has delivered five new medical schools. The first graduates from this expansion entered foundation training in August 2022.In January 2022, the Department commissioned NHS England to develop a long-term workforce plan, which is due to be completed by the end of 2022. Its conclusions will be shared in due course. The long-term workforce plan will be used to inform future Government policy on meeting the needs of patients and the National Health Service workforce. Funding plans beyond the current Spending Review period will be subject to the outcome of future Spending Reviews.

Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing and Access

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of changes in the 2019 Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing and Access rebate rate on foreign direct investment into UK life science R&D.

Will Quince: No recent assessment has been made. Changes to payment percentages reflects the Scheme working as intended to adjust for increased sales of branded medicines to the National Health Service. This will result in payment percentages at rates projected when the Scheme was agreed with industry.

Life Expectancy: Females

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to (a) improve life expectancy for women in the UK and (b) tackle disparities in life expectancy between women living in affluent areas and those living in deprived areas.

Dr Caroline Johnson: ‘Our plan for patients’, published on 22 September, sets out the immediate priorities to support individuals to live healthier lives, including improving access to health and care services in all areas and preventing ill-health.

Mental Health Services: Inflation

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department is taking steps to help support community mental health services in the context of rising inflation.

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department is taking steps to help support inpatient mental health services in the context of rising inflation.

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department is taking steps to help support inpatient mental health services with rising energy prices.

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department is taking steps to help support community mental health services with rising energy prices.

Dr Caroline Johnson: NHS England has released a further £1.5 billion to integrated care systems to manage the rising costs of energy and inflation. Local integrated care boards will determine how this funding will be allocated to hospitals and community provision.

Barts Health NHS Trust: Agency Workers

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate she has made of the cost of providing agency staff due to shortages of NHS staff within Barts Health NHS Trust in the last 12 months.

Will Quince: The cost of supplying agency staff to Barts Health NHS Trust in 2021/22 was £48.6 million. While agency staff may cover for vacancies, the deployment of a flexible workforce assists the efficient running of the National Health Service, allowing it to meet fluctuations in demand. Staff can be drawn from internal staff banks or external agencies.

Electronic Cigarettes: Children

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 23 September 2022 to Question 49600 on Electronic Cigarettes: Children, what the additional measures are that her Department is considering to help prevent the sale of e-cigarettes to people under the age of 18.

Dr Caroline Johnson: We are considering the recommendations made in the independent ‘The Khan review: making smoking obsolete’.

Barts Health NHS Trust: Waiting Lists

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment her Department has made of the impact of staff shortages on the number of cancelled elective and non-elective surgeries within Barts Health NHS Trust.

Will Quince: No formal assessment has been made. Local National Health Service trusts are responsible for managing staffing levels and for recruiting the appropriate number of health professionals required to meet local service and patient need.

Vaccine Taskforce: UK Health Security Agency

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to integrate the UK Vaccine Taskforce into UKHSA.

Dr Caroline Johnson: On 1 October 2022, the core functions of the UK Vaccine Taskforce (VTF) merged with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and the Office for Life Sciences. The vaccine supply responsibilities of the VTF have moved to the UKHSA to establish a permanent function. Staff from the VTF have moved into a new directorate within the UKHSA to ensure a smooth transition and embed learning from the VTF.

Healthy Start Scheme

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 22 March 2022 to Question 140359 on Healthy Start Scheme, what plans she has to increase the value of Healthy Start scheme vouchers in line with inflation; and if she will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of increasing the value of Healthy Start payments to keep them in line with the current high levels of food price inflation; and if she will make a statement.

Dr Caroline Johnson: While there are no current plans to increase the value of Healthy Start, this is kept under continuous review. In April 2021 the value of the Healthy Start increased from £3.10 to £4.25, providing additional support to pregnant women and families on lower incomes to make healthy food choices. Due to the increase, eligible families with children aged under one year old receive £8.50 compared to £6.20 previously.

Public Health: Energy

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of rising energy bills on public health.

Dr Caroline Johnson: The Government will continue to consider evidence on the health impacts of trends in energy bills and the risks of cold homes in the development of policy. The Government’s cost-of-living support package includes targeted support to households which may be more vulnerable to the effects of living in a cold home. The Government is also helping households reduce energy costs in the long term by improving the energy efficiency of homes.

Health: Energy

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to polling from the Royal College of Physicians which found that 12 per cent of people said they had previously been advised by a health professional to keep their home warm to reduce the likelihood of becoming unwell or making an existing health condition worse, what assessment has she made of those patient's financial ability to pay energy costs over the next six months; and what steps she will take to support those who are financially unable to meet energy costs.

Dr Caroline Johnson: The Government has announced measures to support households with rising energy bills, such as the Energy Price Guarantee, the Energy Bill Support Scheme and the Household Support Fund which is delivered through local authorities. These measures also provide £15 billion for the most vulnerable households.Vulnerable households can also contact their energy supplier for support via the Priority Services Register. Energy suppliers can offer payment plans and other support to help households manage rising energy prices. This is in addition to established schemes such as the Warm Home Discount and the Winter Fuel Payment. NHS England and the Department for Work and Pensions are also working with the Money and Pensions Service to include information on money support and debt advice services into resources for social prescribing link workers. Energy efficiency schemes such as the Local Authority Delivery Scheme, Home Upgrade Grant, Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund and the Energy Company Obligation are also available.

Dental Services: York

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the NHS dentist provision in (a) York Central constituency and (b) York.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help improve access to NHS dental services in (a) York Central constituency and (b) York.

Will Quince: No specific assessment has been made. However, NHS England asked dental practices to return to full delivery of contracted activity from July 2022, including in York. In September, we announced ‘Our plan for patients’, which outlines how we will meet oral health needs and increase access to dental care, including in York.The plan includes improvements to ensure dentists are renumerated fairly for more complex work, allowing greater flexibility to reallocate resources and to utilise dentists with greater capacity to deliver National Health Service treatment, whilst enabling full use of the dental team. The plan also includes streamlining processes for overseas dentists and holding the local NHS to account for dentistry provision. In addition, Health Education England is also reforming dental education to improve the recruitment and retention of dental professionals.

Malnutrition: Nottingham South

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment her Department has made of trends in the level of malnutrition in Nottingham South constituency.

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment her Department has made of trends in the level of malnutrition in Walsall South constituency.

Dr Caroline Johnson: No specific assessment has been made.

HIV Infection: Bermondsey and Old Southwark

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people were diagnosed with HIV in Bermondsey and Old Southwark constituencyin each of the last 5 five years.

Navendu Mishra: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people were diagnosed with HIV in Stockport constituency in each of the last five years.

Dr Caroline Johnson: This information is not collected in the format requested.

Surgery: Turkey

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department plans to take steps to provide advice to people travelling to Turkey for (a) aesthetic and (b) cosmetic procedures.

Dr Caroline Johnson: The Government urges anyone seeking a cosmetic procedure to find a reputable, safe and competent practitioner subject to statutory regulation or on an accredited voluntary register overseen by the Professional Standards Authority. Using a registered practitioner provides assurance that they are appropriately qualified, registered and insured.Those considering a cosmetic procedure abroad are urged to research the standards and qualifications which apply in that country. Individuals should ensure that adequate insurance arrangements are in place and that they have access to appropriate aftercare in the United Kingdom. NHS.UK has published guidance for people considering travelling abroad for cosmetic surgery, as well as general safety advice and information on individual procedures. The Royal College of Surgeons and the British Association of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons also provide information online.

General Practitioners: Wirral West

Margaret Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate her Department has made of the number of FTE Fully qualified GPs excluding GPs in Training Grade practicing in Wirral West constituency (a) on 21 October 2022 and (b) in 2013.

Will Quince: This information is not collected in the format requested.

Health Services: Females

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions she has had with NHS England on the creation of a clinical women’s health lead in the NHS since the publication of the Women’s Health Strategy.

Dr Caroline Johnson: There have been no specific discussions.

General Practitioners: Washington and Sunderland West

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate her Department has made of the number of FTE Fully qualified GPs excluding GPs in Training Grade practicing in Washington and Sunderland West constituency (a) on 14 October 2022 and (b) in 2013.

Will Quince: This information is not collected in the format requested.

General Practitioners: Barking and Dagenham

Dame Margaret Hodge: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate her Department has made of the number of FTE Fully qualified GPs excluding GPs in Training Grade practicing in Barking and Dagenham (a) today and (b) what the number was in 2013.

Will Quince: This information is not collected in the format requested.

General Practitioners: Weaver Vale

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate her Department has made of the number of FTE Fully qualified GPs, excluding GPs in Training Grade, practicing in Weaver Vale constituency on (a) 12 October 2022 and (b) what the number was in 2013.

Will Quince: This information is not collected in the format requested.

Health Services: Miscarriage

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions she has had with stakeholders since the publication of the Women’s Health Strategy on the pregnancy loss certificate; and if she will make a statement.

Dr Caroline Johnson: The Department is working with NHS Business Services Authority to introduce pregnancy loss certificates as soon as possible. The certificates were informed by engagement with stakeholders, including baby loss charities, parents with lived experience of pregnancy loss, registrars and clinicians.

Mental Health Services: Mothers

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of counselling services available to mothers (a) pre-maternity and (b) during hospital discharge who have (i) experienced birth trauma, (ii) existing mental health conditions and (iii) babies with suspected neonatal problems.

Dr Caroline Johnson: No specific assessment has been made. We are expanding perinatal mental health services in England to include new mental health ‘hubs’ for new, expectant or bereaved mothers.This includes 33 new Maternal Mental Health Services, which bring together psychological therapy, maternity services and reproductive health for women who have mental health needs following trauma or loss related to their maternity experience. These will be available throughout England by March 2024.

Mental Health Services: Warrington North

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help improve access to mental health services in Warrington North constituency.

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help support young people with eating disorders in Warrington North constituency.

Dr Caroline Johnson: In September we announced ‘Our Plan for Patients’, which outlines how we will increase access to National Health Service mental health and eating disorder services, including in Warrington North. Making it easier to access general practice through our ABCD priorities will expand this route as a gateway to mental health care. Through the NHS Long Term Plan, we are investing an additional £2.3 billion a year by 2023/24 to expand these services for adults, children and young people in England, including in Warrington North. We will invest approximately £1 billion in community mental health care for adults with severe mental illness, including eating disorders, by 2023/24 and an additional £53 million per year in children and young people's community eating disorder services to increase capacity in the 70 community eating disorder teams.

Monkeypox

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment her Department has made of potential impact of the monkeypox outbreak on the ability of sexual health providers to provide services.

Dr Caroline Johnson: No formal assessment has been made as official statistics for 2022 are not yet available. The Department continues to work with the UK Health Security Agency, local authorities and NHS England to manage pressures on sexual health services and ensure access to routine sexual and reproductive health services is maintained.

Monkeypox: Vaccination

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 14 October 2022 to Question 59515 on Monkeypox: Vaccination, what assessment the Government made of the level of (a) risk and (b) UK preparedness for a potential increase in the rate of Monkeypox infections prior to the decision not to procure additional doses of the vaccine for that disease.

Dr Caroline Johnson: The UK Health Security Agency continually assesses the level of risk to the United Kingdom from monkeypox infections. Risk assessments published on 23 September 2022 indicated an approximately flat daily growth rate at low levels of incidence; approximately stable geography within England; no reported deaths in the UK; and a small number of deaths reported globally. The risk assessment of 23 September is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/monkeypox-outbreak-technical-briefings/investigation-into-monkeypox-outbreak-in-england-technical-briefing-8#part-1-risk-assessment-as-of-23-september-2022We have procured sufficient stock to deliver the vaccination strategy in full.

Monkeypox: Vaccination

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of the 100,000 doses of the monkeypox vaccine arriving in September 2022 will be used to provide (a) first doses for those not yet vaccinated and (b) second doses for those who have already received a first dose.

Dr Caroline Johnson: On 23 September 2022, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) announced that second doses of monkeypox vaccine will begin to be offered although clinics will prioritise continuing to deliver first doses to people at highest risk from monkeypox. To maximise the reach of the remaining stock, including the 100,000 doses due to arrive before the end of September, of which 20,000 are already in the United Kingdom, the UKHSA has endorsed ‘fractional dosing’ where those aged 18 years old and over can be offered a 0.1 mililitre dose of the Jynneos vaccine, instead of a 0.5 millilitre dose typically administered. This will potentially enable up to a five-fold increase in the number of people offered vaccination with the same level of vaccine efficacy.

Health: Equality

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department has plans to publish a health disparities white paper.

Dr Caroline Johnson: ‘Our plan for patients’, published on 22 September, sets out the immediate priorities to support individuals to live healthier lives, including improving access to health and care services.

Dental Services: Nottingham South

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of dental practices were rated as good by the Care Quality Commission in Nottingham South constituency as of 17 October 2022.

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of dental practices were rated as good by the Care Quality Commission in Wirral South constituency as of 17 October 2022.

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of dental practices in the Ilford North constituency were rated as good by the Care Quality Commission as of 17 October 2022.

Gill Furniss: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of dental practices were rated as good by the Care Quality Commission in Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough constituency in 2010.

Bell Ribeiro-Addy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of dental practices were rated as good by the Care Quality Commission in Streatham as of October 2022.

Will Quince: The Care Quality Commission (CQC) does not currently rate providers of primary dental care services.  The CQC publishes an assessment against five ‘key aspects’ which determine whether a dental provider is meeting its regulatory requirements. These are: - Treating people with respect and involving them in their care;- Providing care, treatment and support that meets people's needs;- Caring for people safely and protecting them from harm;- Staffing; and- Quality and suitability of management. The CQC provides online information for the public to find local dentists and profiles, which display the regulatory performance and inspection reports.

General Practitioners

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the Government is taking to increase the number of face to face GP appointments.

Will Quince: On 22 September 2022, we announced “Our Plan for Patients,” which contains measures to help people make an informed choice about which practice is best for them, book an appointment more easily, benefit from more options when they need care and bolster general practice teams with other professionals who can help them. This should increase the availability of appointments, including face-to-face appointments.NHS England guidance is clear that GP practices must provide face to face appointments, alongside remote consultations, and should respect preferences for face-to-face care unless there are good clinical reasons to the contrary.Remote consultations can provide additional choice, flexibility and convenience for patients. However a blended offer of face to face and remote consultations is important because remote access is not suitable for all patients or in all circumstances. We expect patients to experience the same high quality of care regardless of how they access their GP surgery.

General Practitioners: Warrington North

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate her Department has made of the number of FTE fully qualified GPs, excluding GPs in Training Grade, practicing in Warrington North constituency (a) as of 17 October 2022 and (b) in 2013.

Will Quince: This information is not collected in the format requested.

Health: Disadvantaged

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what action her Department is taking to reduce health inequalities among (a) regions, (b) gender and (c) race and ethnicity.

Dr Caroline Johnson: ‘Our plan for patients’, published on 22 September, sets out the immediate priorities to support individuals to live healthier lives, including improving access to health and care services in all areas and preventing ill-health. Further information on measures to address health disparities will be available in due course.

General Practitioners: Mothers

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of face to face GP appointments postpartum.

Dr Caroline Johnson: While no specific assessment has been made, we recognise the importance of a blended offer of face to face and remote consultations. Remote consultations can provide additional choice, flexibility and convenience for patients. However, the clinical suitability must be considered for each patient. There are many reasons to seek care in the postnatal period, whether this a routine postnatal visit for mother and baby or to seek more specific care.

Smoking

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department plans to take steps to achieve a smoking-free target by 2030.

Dr Caroline Johnson: We are currently considering the recommendations made in ‘The Khan review: making smoking obsolete’ and further information will be available in due course.

Department for Education

Education and Skills Funding Agency: Correspondence

John Penrose: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when the Education and Skills Funding Agency will reply to the letters of 23 June and 22 September 2022 from the hon. Member for Weston-Super-Mare on teaching days at local schools.

Jonathan Gullis: The Education and Skills Funding Agency sincerely apologises for the delay in responding to the hon. Member for Weston-Super-Mare’s correspondence.The Department for Education, rather than the Education and Skills Funding Agency, is responsible for academy governance matters not relating to funding or finance, such as academies’ freedom to set their number of teaching days. Therefore, the Department will be responding to the hon. Member’s letters as a matter of urgency.

Pupils: Ukraine

Mr Jonathan Lord: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent estimate he has made of the number of Ukrainian school pupils in classrooms across the UK.

Jonathan Gullis: The Department published data on 13 October showing that, of an estimated total of 22,100 applications for a state school place for children arriving from Ukraine, 92% (12,300 primary and 8,100 secondary) have been offered a place. The data is available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-placements-for-children-from-outside-of-the-uk/2022-september.

Schools: Sick Leave

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will make an estimate of the number of sick days that were taken by staff due to mental health illness in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in England in the period between September 2021 and August 2022.

Jonathan Gullis: The information requested is not held centrally. Information on the overall number of days of teacher sickness absence is collected from state-funded schools in England in the November School Workforce Census. However, this does not include the reason for the sickness absence.Each census collects data for absence from the previous academic year. The November 2022 census, covering the period September 2021 to August 2022, will be published in summer 2023 in the annual school workforce statistical publication. The latest report can be found at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england.

BTEC Qualifications: Assessments

Mr Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the oral question asked by the hon. Member for Chesterfield on 24 October 2022, when the Minister first become aware of the number of Level 3 BTEC students who were not going to get their results on 18 August 2022; and for what reason the number of students affected was not made public at the earliest opportunity.

Andrea Jenkyns: The department was notified on 18 August 2022 that some students had not received their level 3 BTEC results as they had expected to on A level results day, due to issues with finalising grades. Ministers were informed of this on the same day.The department immediately contacted Ofqual. As the regulator, Ofqual are responsible for ensuring that awarding organisations deliver qualifications in line with their regulations. Ofqual is currently undertaking a review of the process with awarding organisations and centres to ensure that lessons are learnt from this year’s results. Recommendations will be published later in the autumn.The awarding organisations held data on the number of students affected, and published updates on their own websites regularly.

T-levels: Health and Science

Mr Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what changes have been made to the first year (a) Heath, (b) Healthcare science and (c) science T Level exam paper following the serious issues identified by Ofqual with last year's papers.

Andrea Jenkyns: Ofqual has initiated an investigation into the Northern Council for Further Education’s (NCFE) production of assessment materials for the Health and Science T Level Technical Qualifications to identify how the issues with the Summer 2022 exams occurred.Ofqual accepted an undertaking from NCFE, published on October 12 2022, as an interim measure, to minimise the risk of any issues in the upcoming core exam papers and to secure assurance that these issues will not be repeated in future assessment series for any of NCFE’s Technical Qualifications. This can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ncfe-undertaking-october-2022.NCFE will review its Technical Qualification core exam papers and mark schemes before the autumn 2022 series to provide assurance to Ofqual that these assessments will be valid and of good quality.

Pupils: Mental Health

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will make an estimate of the number of sick days that were taken by pupils due to mental health illness in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in England in the period between September 2021 and August 2022.

Jonathan Gullis: The Department does not collect data on sickness absence due to mental health illness of pupils.Data on children who are absent because of illness overall is included in the publication on pupil absence in schools in England, which can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/pupil-absence-in-schools-in-england.Attendance guidance makes clear that schools must record absences as authorised where pupils cannot attend due to illness (both physical and mental health related).

T-levels: Health and Science

Mr Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of the Year 1 (a) Health, (b) Healthcare Science and (c) Science T Level exam papers were retrospectively removed from the paper before those papers were regraded further to Ofqual's announcement on 8 September 2022.

Andrea Jenkyns: Ofqual conducted a thorough review of the full range of questions in the Core examination papers for Health, Healthcare Science and Science T Levels and concluded that the assessments did not secure a sufficiently valid or reliable measure of student performance.The department wrote to providers who started teaching T Levels in Health, Healthcare Science and Science in September 2021. The letter confirmed that in light of Ofqual’s findings, students’ grades for the core could be revised to be based entirely on their employer set project grade. To ensure that students were not unfairly penalised by this decision, any students who secured a higher grade in their overall core component than their employer set project were able to carry forward the higher mark.

Ministry of Justice

Ministry of Justice: Management Consultants

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 19 October 2022 to Question 59770 on Ministry of Justice: Consultancy, if he will list the external management consultants that were engaged with by his Department.

Edward Argar: The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Ministry of Justice: Buildings

Holly Lynch: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the number of work stations available for people employed by his Department on departmental premises.

Edward Argar: We refer the honourable member to the reply for PQ No. 61202, which provided the number of workstations available for Civil Servants to use in our headquarters buildings.There is no central record held regarding the number of workstations available across the rest of our estate

Barristers: Industrial Disputes

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the impact of criminal barristers' industrial action on the caseload in the crown courts; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Argar: The Government is committed to supporting the recovery of the courts and our decisive action kept justice moving during the pandemic. Now that barristers have returned to work, we can work together to drive down the backlog and ensure victims see justice served sooner.From the second half of 2021 onwards, we started to make progress in reducing the caseload, reducing the backlog by over 2,000 from its pandemic-induced peak of 61,000 in June 2021 to 58,700 in March 2022.However, since April 2022, when industrial action began, the caseload has been increasing again and it stood at 61,200 at the end of August. We resolved the dispute with the Criminal Bar Association on 10 October. As part of this, we committed to a package of measures including an additional £3 million of funding for case preparation, a further £4 million for defence barristers involved in pre-recorded cross-examinations, and a £5 million uplift per year for fees in the youth court from the 2024/25 financial year.To increase capacity in the Criminal Justice System, we have removed the limit on sitting days in the Crown Court for the second year in a row and extended 30 Nightingale courtrooms beyond the end of March 2022. We have also reduced demand into the Crown Court by legislating to retain more cases in the Magistrates’ Courts. These actions will deliver swifter justice for victims and reduce the backlog of cases.Over the next three financial years, we are investing an extra £477 million for the Criminal Justice System to help improve waiting times for victims of crime and address the Crown Court backlog.

Criminal Injuries Compensation: Stalking

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will review the criteria for awarding compensation for criminal injuries in order for psychological harm caused by stalking to be adequately recognised.

Edward Argar: The government-funded Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme 2012 (the Scheme) exists to compensate for serious physical or psychological injury attributable to being a direct victim of a crime of violence. As the Scheme is publicly funded, strict eligibility criteria apply.When assessing applications, the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority, which administers the Scheme, must be satisfied that injuries were sustained from a "crime of violence", which has a specific meaning under Annex B of the Scheme. In addition to crimes involving physical or sexual assault, the definition also includes threats against a person which caused fear of immediate violence in circumstances which would have caused a person of reasonable firmness to be put in such fear. Injury from behaviour that constitutes stalking, without physical contact, would be eligible if it fell within this definition.In 2020, we held a public consultation on proposals to make claiming compensation simpler and more accessible for victims of violent crime. Within this, we considered whether the current definition of a crime of violence for the purposes of the Scheme reflects the changing nature of violent crime. Our conclusions and proposals for reform of the Scheme will be shared in due course.

Prisoners: Death

Ellie Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the INQUEST report entitled Deaths of racialised people in prison 2015-2022: Challenging racism and discrimination, published on 12 October 2022, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his Department's policies of the conclusions of that report; and if he will make a statement.

Ellie Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the INQUEST report entitled Deaths of racialised people in prison 2015-2022: Challenging racism and discrimination, published on 12 October 2022, for what reason his Department's Safety in custody statistics do not disaggregate deaths in prison by the (a) category of death and (b) ethnicity of the prisoner; and if he will make it his policy to include such data in future.

Mike Freer: Every death in custody is a tragedy and we continue to do all we can to improve the safety of prisoners. As the INQUEST report acknowledges, the number of deaths of prisoners from minority ethnic groups is not disproportionate to their representation in the prison population. All deaths are investigated thoroughly and impartially by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman, which operates independently of the Ministry of Justice. Racism and discrimination are not tolerated in our prisons, and we take strong action to ensure the fair, equal and decent treatment of all prisoners and staff.Data on the category of death and ethnicity of the prisoner is collected in all cases. Until now, we have published the ethnicity breakdown for self-inflicted deaths only but we will keep this under review.

Prisoners: Death

Ellie Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the INQUEST report entitled Deaths of racialised people in prison 2015-2022: Challenging racism and discrimination, published on 12 October 2022, if he will make it his policy to pause current plans for prison expansion due to the potential harms prisons can present.

Mike Freer: We have delivered to date over 3,100 additional prison places as part of a significant build programme delivering safe, secure and modern places across the country.We have done this to protect the public and make the streets safer, meet projected demand from the courts and deliver manifesto commitments. The modern facilities we are delivering will also enable us to provide a safer and more secure custodial environment and to provide more opportunities to intervene and aid prisoners to turn their back on crime.We are committed to improving outcomes for those from ethnic minority backgrounds. In March 2022, we published our response to the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities report and committed to 74 actions across Government for a more inclusive and integrated society, including in relation to criminal justice.

Young Offenders: Housing

Janet Daby: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to ensure local authorities have the necessary resources to accommodate children post-charge who are unable to be bailed.

Rob Butler: The Government published the Concordat on Children in Custody in 2017 which clearly sets out the statutory duties of the police and local authorities, and provides a protocol for how transfers of children from custody to local authority accommodation should work in practice. The Home Office is also working with the Metropolitan Police Service regarding its Children in Custody Golden Hour Information Exchange pilot. This pilot with three local authority areas aims to put in place early liaison to ensure more children refused bail receive better accommodation support.The Spending Review 2021 maintains and increases capacity in secure and open residential children’s homes by making available £259 million over the Spending Review period so more children can receive the care they need.

Department for International Trade

Energy Charter Treaty

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether she plans to attend the Energy Charter Conference on 22 November 2022.

Greg Hands: His Majesty’s Ambassador to Mongolia is registered to represent the UK Government at the Energy Charter Conference on 22nd November 2022. The Secretary of State for International Trade does not plan to attend. The Energy Charter Treaty and the UK Government’s participation at the Energy Charter Conference fall under the responsibility of the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, and officials in that Department will lead logistical planning.

Exports: China

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, with reference to the statement of losses and special payments in her Department’s annual report for 2021-22, what organisation was her Department’s contracted supplier of in-market support to UK businesses exporting to China in 2021-22; what the original (a) effective date, (b) duration and (c) value was of that contract; and (c) what revisions were made to the value of the contract for the remainder of its term.

Mr Marcus Fysh: Grant Thornton LLP was the department’s contracted supplier. a) The effective date of the contract was the 3rd August 2020 b) The duration of the contract is for 3 years with termination due on the 28th July 2023. c) The total, non-committed value that can be spent under the contract is £4.6m over 3 years d) No revisions were made to the total value of the contract noted above; however the monthly fixed rate was reduced to reflect the demand for services in market.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Iran: Sanctions

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Iranian counterpart about reports that the Iranian Government has increased sanctions and threats to (a) individuals, (b)security services and (c) journalists at BBC Persian and Iran International for reporting the protests in that country.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: Iran's sanctions announcement of 19 October was a predictable and transparent reaction to the human rights designations that the UK Government imposed on 10 October. Our sanctions show that the UK is committed to holding Iran to account for the shocking violence it is inflicting on its own people. The UK ambassador has spoken with the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on four occasions about their complaints at media reporting of the protest in the UK. The UK is a fierce champion of media freedom and proud member of the Media Freedom Coalition. We condemn the Iranian authorities' crackdown on protestors, journalists and internet freedom, and continue to raise our concerns with Iran at all appropriate opportunities.

BBC World Service

Dr Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential effect on people living under repressive regimes of losing the option of listening to the BBC World Service via radio, with particular reference to the ability of such regimes to (a) impede the availability of online broadcast services and (b) discover and arrest those listening illegally online; and how many (i) full-time and (ii) part-time posts in each country where BBC World Service radio broadcasts are ending (A) have been and (B) are scheduled to be lost.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The BBC recently announced plans to move certain language services to digital-only, whilst maintaining access to the full range of 42 language services, and providing assurance that the World Service will continue to serve audiences in need, ensuring continued access to vital news services.The FCDO strongly supports the BBC's role in bringing high-quality, impartial news to audiences around the world, including where internet restrictions are a tool of repression. We recognise that in the current fiscal context, the BBC, like other organisations, is facing difficult financial decisions.The BBC is operationally and editorially independent from Government, and it is for the BBC to comment on matters relating to staffing and service delivery.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Location

Florence Eshalomi: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if they will publish a breakdown of the total payments made to civil servants in his Department for relocation costs to government offices outside London in 2021.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: We are in process of supporting a number of staff to relocate to our office in East Kilbride. To date no payments have been made. We continue to encourage staff to move out of London to work from our East Kilbride as part of the Places for Growth Programme.

Israel: Palestinians

Tommy Sheppard: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the legality of Israel’s closure of Palestinian towns and cities including (a) Nablus and (b) Shuafat refugee camps.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK is aware of the fragile security situation in the West Bank and are monitoring developments closely. We look to all parties to take urgent steps to de-escalate tensions. The British Ambassador to Israel and British Consul-General in Jerusalem have been engaging with the Israeli and Palestinian leaderships to support them in restoring calm. We stress the importance of ensuring access for humanitarian and development organisations, including in Palestinian refugee camps, even during periods of instability. We also continue to stress the importance of the Israeli security forces providing appropriate protection to the Palestinian civilian population.

Ethiopia: Tigray

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what plans his Department has to support peace talks between the Tigray People’s Liberation Front and the Ethiopian Government.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK is urging all parties to the conflict to reinstate the truce, join African Union-led peace talks to negotiate a ceasefire, restore humanitarian access and banking and communications services to Tigray and prioritise the protection of civilians and uphold international humanitarian law. The Minister for Development met Ethiopian Deputy Prime Minister Demeke on 22 September to deliver these messages. The Minister for Development also travelled to Ethiopia on 19 October and met the Deputy Prime Minister and the President, to press these points. Our Embassy in Addis Ababa is in regular touch with Ethiopian and Tigrayan leaders. We are supporting the African Union led mediation efforts.

Israel: Palestinians

Tommy Sheppard: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations he has made to his Israeli counterpart on (a) the obstruction of ambulances seeking to reach and transport wounded people in the north of the West Bank, (b) the detention of a Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) ambulance driver on 19 October 2022 and (c) other reported violations against health workers.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: Access in and out of Gaza, in accordance with International Humanitarian Law, remains essential for humanitarian purposes and for those, including Palestinians, travelling for medical purposes. The British Embassy in Tel Aviv regularly raises the importance of regularised access to healthcare with the Israeli authorities. We strongly condemn all forms of violence and incitement to violence directed towards healthcare workers. The wounded and critically ill in Gaza and the West Bank should be able to access the urgent medical care they need.

Sri Lanka: Human Rights

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations he has made to his Sri Lankan counterpart on implementation of the resolution on Promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka adopted by UN Human Rights Council at its 51st session in October 2022.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: We regularly engage with the Government of Sri Lanka on human rights concerns and stand ready to support implementation of UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) resolution 51/1. The resolution renewed the mandate of the Office for the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to report on Sri Lanka and to protect and preserve evidence of past human rights abuses to use in future accountability processes.The Minister for South Asia, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, met the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister at the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in September, raising the need to engage with UNHRC members and take forward repeated commitments to make progress.

Islamic State: Yazidis

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking with his international counterparts to secure justice for Yazidi child survivors of ISIS (a) sexual violence or (b) forced recruitment.

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what humanitarian assistance the Government is providing to help support the (a) recovery and (b) reintegration of Yazidi children abducted by ISIS for the purposes of (i) sexual violence or (ii) forced recruitment.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The Yazidi community has suffered immense pain and loss as a result of the abhorrent crimes inflicted by Daesh. The UK advocated strongly for the passing of the Yazidi Survivors' Law in March 2021 and continues to advocate for and fund the work of the Directorate of Yazidi Affairs, which is responsible for securing reparations and justice for survivors, including Yazidi child survivors. UK Ministers regularly raise the importance of this issue with the Government of Iraq and Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) most recently by Lord Ahmad Tariq of Wimbledon to KRG Minister of Religious Affairs in July this year. The UK committed £2 million to the UN Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Daesh (UNITAD) and we continue to champion UNITAD's work in gathering evidence of Daesh crimes to bring perpetrators to account.

Palestinians: Politics and Government

Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his US counterpart on the current situation in the West Bank.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK is aware of the fragile security situation in the West Bank and we are monitoring developments closely. We look to all parties to take urgent steps to de-escalate tensions. The British Ambassador to Israel and British Consul General in Jerusalem have been engaging with the Israeli and Palestinian leaderships to support them in restoring calm. We engage closely with the US at all levels on these important issues. FCDO officials, including from the British Embassy Tel Aviv and the British Consulate-General in Jerusalem, also engage with the US on a regular basis, including to discuss the situation in the West Bank.

India: Visas

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions has he had with his Indian counterpart on the issuing of tourist visas for that country in London.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: British nationals can continue to use the Government of India (GoI)'s regular/paper visa application services for all visa categories. We regularly raise our concerns regarding our exclusion from the list of countries eligible for e-visas with the GoI. The previous Foreign Secretary raised this matter with the Indian External Affairs Minister during her visit to India in March. We continue to lobby the GoI on this issue, while respecting it is for them to determine the types and validity of the visas it offers. We will update India Travel Advice with the latest information if there are any changes in India's visa rules.

Northern Ireland Protocol

Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, which Minister is responsible for negotiations with the EU on the Northern Ireland Protocol.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The Foreign Secretary is responsible for negotiations with the EU on the Northern Ireland Protocol - working closely with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, the Minister for Europe and Ministers across other departments where relevant.

Ministry of Defence

Hercules Aircraft

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 19 October 2022 to Question 62698, in which month in 2023 he expects the C130J Hercules to be taken out of service.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 29 September 2022 to Question 53303 on Hercules Aircraft, by what month in 2023 he expects the Hercules C-130J aircraft to be out of service.

Alex Chalk: The RAF's fleet of Hercules C-130J aircraft is due to go out of service at the end of June 2023.

Ministry of Defence: Public Expenditure

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the expected annual (a) resource and (b) capital spend of all his Department's major projects in the major projects portfolio 2022 is in each of the financial years from the current year until the end of date of each project.

Alex Chalk: We do not routinely release forecast figures regarding the annual resource and capital spend of our major projects portfolio.We publish portfolio data each year in support of the IPA Annual Report that includes a budget baseline and the latest HM Treasury approved estimates in respect of whole life costs. Details can be found at:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/infrastructure-and-projects-authority-annual-report-2022

Defence: Procurement

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to Answer of 19 October to Question 51435, if he will provide a definition of (a) direct and (b) indirect procurement spend to SMEs.

Alex Chalk: Direct spend is made up of payments made directly to SME suppliers by the Ministry of Defence (MOD). Indirect spend is estimated through an annual survey of the department's larger suppliers covering their spend with SMEs that stems from UK MOD contracts.

Armed Forces: Housing

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many calls reporting issues with (a) heating and (b) hot water have been received by the Amey’s Customer Service Centre in each of the last 12 months.

Alex Chalk: Under the previous National Housing Prime (NHP) contract which ran until April 2022, Amey were responsible for the Customer Service Centre.Backdated information is not held centrally in the format requested and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.Since April 2022, Pinnacle have been responsible for the National Service Centre.

Ukraine: Guided Weapons

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his written statement Military Support to Ukraine HCWS259 of 21 July, whether the Government has established a contract to re-stock Javelin missiles.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his written statement Military Support to Ukraine HCWS259 of 21 July, whether the Government has established a contract to re-stock Brimstone missiles.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his written statement Military Support to Ukraine HCWS259 of 21 July, whether the Government has established a contract to re-stock Starstreak launchers and missiles.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the Government has established a contract to replace the AMRAAM missiles provided to Ukraine.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his written statement Military Support to Ukraine HCWS259 of 21 July, whether the Government has established a contract to re-stock Maritime Brimstone missiles.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his written statement Military Support to Ukraine HCWS259 of 21 July, whether the Government has established a contract to re-stock artillery ammunition.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his written statement Military Support to Ukraine HCWS259 of 21 July, whether the Government has established a contract to re-stock anti-structure munitions.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his written statement Military Support to Ukraine HCWS259 of 21 July, whether the Government has established a contract to re-stock plastic explosives.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his written statement Military Support to Ukraine HCWS259 of 21 July, whether the Government has established a contract to re-stock long range, satellite and short range communications equipment.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his written statement Military Support to Ukraine HCWS259 of 21 July, whether the Government has established a contract to re-stock jamming and physical counter electronic warfare equipment.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his written statement Military Support to Ukraine HCWS259 of 21 July, whether the Government has established a contract to re-stock helmets and body armour.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his written statement Military Support to Ukraine HCWS259 of 21 July, whether the Government has established a contract to re-stock medical supplies.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his written statement Military Support to Ukraine HCWS259 of 21 July, whether the Government has established a contract to re-stock night-vision devices.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his written statement Military Support to Ukraine HCWS259 of 21 July, whether the Government hast established a contract to re-stock spare parts and tools, such as pallets and kits, provided to Ukraine.

Alex Chalk: The UK is proud to be leading the way in our support to the Ukraine. A wide variety of military equipment has been either gifted in kind or rapidly procured for Ukraine by the UK. Some of the equipment gifted from our own stocks will be replenished through contracts with suppliers, but other equipment does not require replacing as it is nearing the end of its in-service life.

Armed Forces: Housing

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many people have been moved out of their service accommodation due to a lack of (a) heating and (b) hot water in each of the last three years.

Alex Chalk: Backdated information is not held centrally in the format requested and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.No home would be left without heating or hot water for more than 24 hours. Alternative forms of heating and sources of hot water, or alternative accommodation, are provided. If the offer of alternative accommodation is declined, the use of bathing facilities in a welfare house is provided.

Armed Forces: Housing

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of Single Living Accommodation maintained by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation is graded at grade (a) 1, (b) 2, (c) 3 and (d) 4 and below in each of the last five years.

Alex Chalk: Information is not held in the format requested and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Armed Forces: Housing

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will publish the Key Performance Indicators for service accommodation maintained by Amey.

Alex Chalk: The Future Defence Infrastructure Services (FDIS) accommodation contracts came into service on 1 April 2022. The contracts comprise one National Accommodation Management Services (NAMS) contract, held by Pinnacle, and four Regional Accommodation Maintenance Services (RAMS) contracts held by Amey and VIVO.As is standard practice for major Government contracts, four Gold Key Performance Indicators (KPI)s selected in accordance with Cabinet Office criteria, will be published in 2023 for each of the FDIS Accommodation contracts. For the NAMS, these are Application Completions, Allocation satisfaction including Move-in and Move-out satisfaction, Resolution of Stage 1 complaints and social value. For the RAMS, these are Right First Time, Homes Prepared to Meet the Move-In Standard, Customer Satisfaction and Social Value.

Armed Forces: Housing

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of service personnel have occupied Single Living Accommodation in each of the last two years.

Alex Chalk: The table below shows Service personnel who have occupied Single Living Accommodation (SLA) by calendar year as a percentage of full strength. Permanent SLA occupiedCalendar Year20212022 (to date)Graded148%48%Other23%3%Grand total50%49% The information provided was extracted from the Joint Personnel Administration (JPA) System on 21 October 2022. Please note a Service person may have occupied more than one type of SLA at different times of the Calendar Year. Therefore the sum of the individual parts may be higher than the grand total. 1 Graded accommodation levels 1-4 2 Other- Hospital accommodation, Lodging Allowance recipients, MCMV Environmental Allowance, Enhanced Environmental Allowance, Northern Ireland Living out, Onboard ship accommodation, SSSA, SFA Misappropriation (No Charge), Unpleasant Living Accommodation.

Armed Forces: Housing

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of service personnel living in Single Living Accommodation maintained by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation have been in accommodation graded at grade (a) 1, (b) 2, (c) 3 and (d) 4 and below in each of the last five years.

Alex Chalk: Information relating to Single Living Accommodation (SLA) maintained by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation is not held centrally and is only available at disproportionate cost. The table below shows the breakdown of Permanent Single SLA occupied by Service Personnel across the last five calendar years.Calendar YearPermanent SLA Occupied20182019202020212022 to dateGrade 135%33%27%22%21%Grade 230%34%36%36%37%Grade 320%22%20%19%17%Grade 4 and below43%45%46%46%43%*Other6%7%6%6%7%Grand Total100%100%100%100%100%

Armed Forces: Housing

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of Service Family Accommodation maintained by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation has been graded at grade (a) 1, (b) 2, (c) 3 and (d) 4 and below in each of the last five years.

Alex Chalk: All Service Family Accommodation (SFA) allocated to Service families in the UK meets the Government’s Decent Homes Standard as a minimum. Homes below this standard are not allocated to Service personnel and their families. The following table shows the Decent Home Standard applied to the MOD’s SFA stock over the last five years:   20222021202020192018Decent Homes +87.88%87.74%87.33%86.40%84.88%Decent Homes8.31%9.11%9.65%10.61%10.54%Decent Homes -2.70%2.21%2.16%2.24%3.79%

Ministry of Defence: Procurement

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to review the Department’s procurement system to help ensure (a) the UK meets its NATO obligations and (b) value for money.

Alex Chalk: The Department is committed to continuous reform of its acquisition system to make it more agile and to ensure it delivers the best possible value for money.Acquisition reform is a key enabler for the Defence and Security Industrial Strategy and supports the objectives set out in the 2021 Defence Command Paper, including Defence's contribution to the UK's NATO obligations.Our continuous improvement agenda across Defence acquisition covers five themes:· Improving cost estimating and cost control· Improving relationships with industry· Delivering strategic intent and Defence priorities through our requirements· Empowering and enabling programme leadership· Streamlining acquisition and approvals processes and addressing project resourcing challenges

Ministry of Defence: Procurement

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to limit the expense of funds from the public purse caused by (a) fruitless payments, (b) cancelled contracts and (c) administrational errors.

Alex Chalk: The Department is responsible for delivering a huge range of complex programmes and ambitious modernisation plans ensuring our Armed Forces have the very best resources to meet future threats. Aided by our £24 billion spending settlement, the Department remains committed to delivering value for money through new streamlined processes and developing our industry contracts with a focus on delivery. This will be grounded by the Integrated Review, Defence Command Paper and Defence Security and Industrial Strategy. As would be expected of any responsible organisation, MOD regularly reviews our programmes and assets to determine how best to meet future threats including taking appropriate action to address changes. This helps avoid future support and maintenance costs on programmes and assets that are now less relevant or no longer required which can then be re-invested in other programmes.

Ajax Vehicles: Le TacCIS Programme

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the Department will declare initial operating capability for the AJAX Armoured Fighting Vehicle without initial operating capability being declared for MORPHEUS.

Alex Chalk: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer provided to him on 28 April 2022 to Question 160459. Ajax Vehicles: LE TacCIS Programme (docx, 21.2KB)

Satellite Communications: Contracts

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when does he expect to award the contract for (a) designing and (b) manufacturing Skynet 6A.

Alex Chalk: Following a comprehensive assessment phase, a contract was placed with Airbus Defence and Space UK Ltd in July 2020 for the design, manufacture, assembly, test and launch of SKYNET 6A. The project remains on-track to deliver full operating capability by 2026, with contractual incentives to bring this date forward if feasible.

Satellite Communications

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many UK jobs are either (a) directly and or (b) indirectly supported by the Skynet 5 programme.

Alex Chalk: The SKYNET 5 capability is delivered by a complex consortium of industry providers, led by Airbus Defence and Space UK. As a result of the dynamic nature of the capability, and changing operational demands, the number of jobs in direct support of SKYNET 5 is not constant. The SKYNET 5 consortium of 30 companies can be split into Tier 1 (major partners), consisting of Airbus Defence and Space, SERCO and CGI and Tier 2 (minor partners). Across the Tier 1 suppliers, the current number of direct jobs in support of SKYNET 5 is estimated to be 517. In addition, the MOD's SKYNET 5 Delivery Team within Defence Digital employs 52 staff (a mixture of civil servants, military personnel and contractors). It would not be possible to determine the number of staff employed directly or indirectly within the Tier 2 suppliers (or their wider supply chain) without incurring disproportionate cost.

Satellite Communications

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what enhanced capability does Skynet 6A offer that Skynet 5 does not currently provide.

Alex Chalk: The primary purpose of SKYNET 6A is to extend and supplement the capability provided by the current SKYNET 5 constellation, prior to the delivery of a new generation of satellites being introduced from 2028 onwards, which will replace the extant ageing constellation. The design of SKYNET 6A is such that it will deliver a similar capability to that provided by SKYNET 5 spacecraft. However advances in technology will mean that the SKYNET 6A will deliver a higher level of Super High Frequency (SHF) capacity (compared to SKYNET 5 satellites), along with improvements to the security aspects of the spacecraft. SKYNET 6A is expected to be in-service for a minimum of 15 years.

Armoured Fighting Vehicles

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 19 October 2022 to Question 61730, which 29 armoured personnel carriers were withdrawn from service within the past year.

Alex Chalk: The reduction of 29 Armoured Personnel Carriers is from the Army's fleet of Bulldogs. This data is published online and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/uk-armed-forces-equipment-and-formations-2022

Satellite Communications

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he expects Skynet 6A to enter service.

Alex Chalk: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave on 17 October 2022 to Question 58891 to the right hon. Member for Rayleigh and Wickford (Mr Mark Francois).Satellite Communications: Procurement (docx, 21.1KB)

BOWMAN Combat Radio System: Contracts

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when the extension contract for Bowman was signed; and until what date the service contract has been extended.

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for what reason the Bowman contract was extended.

Alex Chalk: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 18 October 2022 to Question 62726. This referred back to the answer given on 8 September 2021, to Question 40637.BOWMAN Combat Radio System (docx, 21.8KB)

Estonia: Armed Forces

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether Operation CABRIT is funded from the budget of the British Army.

James Heappey: The Net Additional Costs to the British Army, on Op CABRIT, are funded by His Majesty Treasury's (HMT) Special Reserve.The costs of additional deployment and equipment sent to Estonia and Poland since Russia's invasion of Ukraine are captured under a separate financial arrangement with HMT.

Ministry of Defence: Buildings

Holly Lynch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the number of work stations available for people employed by his Department on departmental premises.

Sarah Atherton: Each Ministry of Defence site is individually responsible for determining the number of work stations available for employee use. This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

China: Armed Forces

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Chinese Government recruiting ex-British RAF jet pilots for training purposes on national security.

James Heappey: This practice poses a significant threat to UK and Western interests. We are taking a range of measures to dissuade current and former UK pilots from being recruited. We also want to ensure that China understands that our previous silence on this matter should not be interpreted as acceptance or approval of this activity.We are issuing threat guidance to personnel at risk of being approached. We are reminding personnel of their obligations to protect sensitive information acquired during their tenure as crown or civil servants; we will be looking at options to tighten the contractual obligations of Service leavers. We are also encouraging the reporting of any recruitment activity targeting pilots or any other specialist area of Defence. The alert has been issued to relevant personnel across Defence, including to partners in defence industry. We are also actively sharing information with key allies.

Department for Work and Pensions

Cost of Living Payments: Appeals

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many appeals her Department has received that have resulted in the cost of living payment being provided retrospectively after a nil award.

Alex Burghart: The department does not hold this information. There is no right of appeal against a Cost-of-Living Payment. Claimants have a right to appeal their benefit entitlement on the qualifying date and, if they are later found to have been entitled to a payment of a qualifying benefit in respect of the qualifying date, they will automatically be paid the Cost-of-Living Payment.A form to report potential missed payments for the first Cost of Living Payment was provided on Welcome to GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) for anyone who thought they should have received the payment but hadn’t.

Cost of Living Payments: Appeals

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many appeals for retrospective payment of the cost of living payment have been successful following an initial nil award.

Alex Burghart: The department does not hold this information. There is no right of appeal against a Cost-of-Living Payment. Claimants have a right to appeal their benefit entitlement on the qualifying date and, if they are later found to have been entitled to a payment of a qualifying benefit in respect of the qualifying date, they will automatically be paid the Cost-of-Living Payment. A form to report potential missed payments for the first Cost of Living Payment was provided on Welcome to GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) for anyone who thought they should have received the payment but hadn’t.

Food Poverty: North East

Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to reduce the level of food insecurity in the North East.

Claire Coutinho: With 1.25 million vacancies across the UK, Government’s focus is firmly on supporting people into and to progress in work. Our approach is based on clear evidence about the importance of employment, particularly where it is full-time, in substantially reducing the risks of poverty. Our Plan for Jobs is providing broad ranging support for all jobseekers with our Sector Based Work Academy Programmes (SWAP), Job Entry Targeted Support and Restart scheme. To help those in work, the new In Work Progression offer will give 2.1 million low paid workers on UC to access to personalised work coach support to help them increase their earnings. The government has taken further decisive action to help. The Energy Price Guarantee will provide further support to millions of households with rising energy costs and will continue to do so from now until April next year. This is in addition to the over £37bn of cost-of-living support announced earlier in the year, which includes Cost of Living Payments of £650 (paid in two lump sums of £326 and £324) to more than 8 million low-income households on means-tested benefits, £300 to pensioner households (through and as an addition to the Winter Fuel Payment) and £150 to individuals receiving disability benefits. For those who require additional support the government is providing an additional £500 million to help households with the cost of household essentials, on top of what we have already provided since October 2021. In England this is taking the form of an extension to the Household Support Fund backed by £421m, running from 1 October 2022 to 31 March. Sunderland will receive £2,673,561.91 for this latest Fund. Other Local Authority allocations can be found here Household Support Fund Grant Determination 2022 No 31/3096 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Universal Credit: Children

Munira Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many children of compulsory school age live in households in England in receipt of universal credit with a household income after tax and before benefits of less than (a) £7,400, (b) £8,350 and (c) £8,575 a year.

Alex Burghart: In May 2022, 2.15 million children of compulsory school age lived in households in England in receipt of universal credit. 780,000 of those children lived in households with no income in May 2022.(a) 1.07 million children of compulsory school age lived in households in England with a monthly equivalent income in May 2022 of less than £7,400 a year.(b) 1.16 million children of compulsory school age lived in households in England with a monthly equivalent income in May 2022 of less than £8,350 a year.(c) 1.18 million children of compulsory school age lived in households in England with a monthly equivalent income in May 2022 of less than £8,575 a year. Notes:1. Children of compulsory school age is defined as children who will be between the ages of 5 and 16 inclusively on 31st August 20222. Figures for children in households with incomes less than £X include households with no income3. May 2022 aligns with most recently data from published Stat-Xplore figures4. Figures rounded to nearest hundred thousand children5. Not all UC claimants will have been receiving UC for a full year, and DWP only holds earnings information for claimants once they start a UC claim. Yearly incomes are therefore calculated by multiplying the monthly incomes in May 2022 by 12. The government understands the pressures people are facing with the cost of living and has provided over £37bn of support including up to £650 in cost-of-living Payments (paid in 2 lump sums of £326 and £324) which have targeted support at around 8 million low-income households on means-tested benefits. [In addition, 6 million eligible disabled people have received a one-off disability Cost of Living Payment of £150 and pensioner households will receive a one-off payment of £300 through and as an addition to the Winter Fuel Payment from November.] For those who require additional support we have extended the Household Support Fund backed by £421m, running from 1 October 2022 to 31 March 2023. The devolved administrations will receive £79 million through the Barnett formula as usual. The Government are also investing £200 million a year to continue the Holiday Activities and Food Programme, which benefitted over 600,000 children last summer, and we have increased the value of the Healthy Start Scheme by a third to £4.25 a week.

Cost of Living Payments: Disability

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many eligible recipients have not received a disability cost of living payment as of 21 October 2022.

Alex Burghart: We will periodically make payments to people who have later been found to be eligible and have not yet received a payment. The payments will continue to be made automatically in the same way the qualifying benefit or tax credit is paid. The timetable for when Cost of Living Payments are made is published here: Cost of Living Payment - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)   The Department for Work and Pensions has published management information on the total number of Disability Cost of Living Payments made. As of 30 September 2022, 6,000,000 Disability Cost of Living payments had been made.The information which will be updated as new payments are made can be found here: Cost of Living Payment management information - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Poverty: Disability

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact on the (a) number and (b) rate of disabled people in poverty of increasing benefits in line with average earnings instead of inflation.

Claire Coutinho: The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions has an annual statutory duty to review benefits and State Pensions rates. That review has commenced following the publication of the relevant indices by the Office for National Statistics. These are CPI in year to September 2022 published on 19 October, and earnings growth in the year May-July 2022 published on 11 October. The Secretary of State’s decisions will be announced to Parliament shortly. National Statistics on the number of disabled people in low income are published annually in the “Households Below Average Income” publication. Latest statistics, covering up until 2019/20 can be found here:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/households-below-average-income-for-financial-years-ending-1995-to-2020

Universal Credit: Bolton and Medway

Peter Aldous: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, in the context of the 500 legacy benefit claimants in Bolton and Medway issued with Universal Credit Migration Notices in May 2022, how many had (a) made their claim by the initial deadline day specified in their Migration Notice, (b) made their claim between the initial deadline day specified in their Migration Notice and their extended deadline and (c) had missed their initial or extended deadline and had their legacy benefits suspended or terminated.

Peter Aldous: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, in the context of the 500 legacy benefit claimants in Bolton and Medway issued with Universal Credit Migration Notices in May 2022, how many were known by her Department to have had a complex need or disability; and how many of those claimants missed their initial deadline.

Peter Aldous: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the of Answer of 22 September 2022 to Question 49117 on Universal Credit, if she will instruct the Universal Credit Programme Board to collect and publish monthly data on the number and proportion of people who missed the initial deadline day to claim specified in their Migration Notice.

Alex Burghart: The department is currently completing its analysis of the first 500 legacy claimants who were issued with a Universal Credit Migration Notice. We intend to publish our learnings and observations from the initial Discovery tests in due course, but it is important to do this at such point we have a complete set of data to avoid releasing information prematurely which could be inadvertently misleading.

Household Support Fund

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department has received representations from other Departments on continuing the Household Support Fund beyond 30 September 2022.

Alex Burghart: Ministers and officials continue to engage across Government to ensure a co-ordinated approach to supporting those in need. As announced on 26 May, the Household Support Fund is continuing beyond 30 September 2022. £421m was provided in England to continue the Fund from 1 October 2022 to 31 March 2023.

Motability

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people were in receipt of a vehicle under the Motability Scheme in (a) England, (b) Scotland, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland in 2021.

Claire Coutinho: The information requested is not readily available for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claimants and could only be provided at disproportionate cost. The Department does not hold the data requested for Disability Living Allowance (DLA) claimants. The latest available Motability annual report can be found here. The report shows that over 640,000 people use the scheme.

Poverty: Children

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact on levels of child poverty of increasing Universal Credit in line with average earnings instead of inflation.

Claire Coutinho: The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions has an annual statutory duty to review benefits and State Pensions rates. That review has commenced following the publication of the relevant indices by the Office for National Statistics. These are CPI in year to September 2022 published on 19 October, and earnings growth in the year May-July 2022 published on 11 October. The Secretary of State’s decisions will be announced to Parliament shortly. Statistics covering up until financial year ending 2021 on the number of children who are in low-income can be found in the annual publication: Children in low-income families: local area statistics. Children in low income families: local area statistics 2014 to 2021 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) The Government is committed to reducing child poverty and supporting low-income families. In 2022/23 we will spend over £242 billion through the welfare system in Great Britain including £108 billion on people of working age. This is on top of the support we have already provided by increasing the National Living Wage to £9.50 per hour and giving nearly 1.7 million families an extra £1,000 a year, on average, through our changes to the Universal Credit taper and work allowances.To further support parents to move into and progress in work, the government provides a range of childcare offers. For more information on what childcare support may be available, we encourage parents to us the helpful Childcare Choices website.

Child Tax Credit: Exemptions

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many households have been found to be eligible for an exemption to the two-child tax credit cap on the ground of non-consensual conception as a result of a decision by a (a) health care professional, (b) social worker and (c) sexual violence service worker.

Claire Coutinho: The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Employment: Menopause

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps the Government is taking to ensure employers in (a) Warrington North constituency and (b) the UK fully support menopausal employees in their workplaces.

Claire Coutinho: The Minister for Employment commissioned the roundtable on older workers to look at the menopause and employment as an issue, emphasising the importance of the support and understanding by employers. An independent menopause and the workplace report was published and the Government’s response was outlined in July. A key recommendation will be the appointment of a Menopause Employment Champion who will work with employers on disseminating best practice and encouraging them to implement workplace menopause policies and other forms of support such as flexible working.Alongside this, and separately, The Women’s Health Strategy sets out a range of commitments including encouraging employers to implement evidence-based workplace support and introduce workplace menopause policies.

Fuel Poverty

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to ensure people do not fall into food poverty.

Claire Coutinho: The Government is committed to reducing poverty and supporting low-income families. In 2022/23 we will spend over £242 billion through the welfare system in Great Britain including £108 billion on people of working age. With 1.25 million job vacancies across the UK, our focus is firmly on supporting people to move into, and progress in work. This approach is based on clear evidence about the importance of employment - particularly where it is full-time - in substantially reducing the risks of poverty. To help people into work across Great Britain, our Plan for Jobs is providing broad ranging support for all Jobseekers with our Sector Based Work Academy Programmes (SWAP), Job Entry Targeted Support and Restart scheme. We are also extending the support Jobcentres provide to people in work and on low incomes. Through a staged roll-out, which started in April 2022, around 2.1 million low-paid benefit claimants will be eligible for support to progress into higher-paid work. This is on top of the support we have already provided by increasing the National Living Wage to £9.50 per hour and giving nearly 1.7 million families an extra £1,000 a year, on average, through our changes to the Universal Credit taper and work allowances. The government understands the pressures people are facing with the cost of living and has provided over £37bn of support including up to £650 in cost-of-living Payments (paid in 2 lump sums of £326 and £324) which have targeted support at around 8 million low-income households on means-tested benefits. In addition, 6 million eligible disabled people have received a one-off disability Cost of Living Payment of £150 and pensioner households will receive a one-off payment of £300 through and as an addition to the Winter Fuel Payment from November. For those who require additional support the current Household Support Fund in England, which will be providing up to £421m of support to those most in need for the period October 2022 - March 2023 and is being delivered by Upper Tier and Unitary Councils. The devolved administrations will receive £79 million through the Barnett formula as usual. The Government are also investing £200 million a year to continue the Holiday Activities and Food Programme, which benefitted over 600,000 children last summer, and we have increased the value of the Healthy Start Scheme by a third to £4.25 a week.

Personal Independence Payment: Appeals

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of people who received a reduced personal independence payment award after being reassessed have had their original award reinstated after submitting a Mandatory Reconsideration or going to appeal.

Claire Coutinho: The information requested is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Carers: Unpaid Work

Matt Vickers: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of extending the eligibility criteria for Carers Allowance to a larger number of unpaid carers; and if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of unpaid care work on the (a) physical and (b) mental health of women.

Claire Coutinho: The primary purpose of Carer’s Allowance is to provide a measure of financial support and recognition for people who give up the opportunity of full-time employment in order to provide regular and substantial care for a severely disabled person. Entitlement to Carer's Allowance depends on certain conditions relating to the circumstances of both the disabled person and the carer being satisfied. The carer must provide a minimum of 35 hours care a week for the disabled person who must be receiving a qualifying disability benefit. The carer must be aged 16 or over; should not be in full-time education; or receiving earnings above £132 a week, net after the deduction of certain allowances. In 2020/21, 850,000 people were in receipt of the Allowance, an increase of nearly 300,000 since 2010/11. In addition to Carer’s Allowance, carers on low incomes can claim income-related benefits, such as Universal Credit and Pension Credit. These benefits can be paid to carers at a higher rate than those without caring responsibilities through the carer element and the additional amount for carers respectively. Currently, the Universal Credit carer element is £168.81 per monthly assessment period, and the additional amount for carers in Pension Credit is £38.85 per week. Since April 2010, carers who do not get Carer's Allowance have been able to apply for National Insurance carer's credits if they are caring for one or more disabled people for at least 20 hours a week. These are Class 3 credits which can help towards the conditions of entitlement to the new State Pension and Widowed Parent’s Allowance. Carer’s Allowance is devolved to the Scottish Parliament and will, in due course be replaced by Scottish Government provision. Carer’s Allowance is a transferred matter in Northern Ireland. The Government recognises that caring is not always easy or straightforward. There is a wide variety in caring circumstances, experiences and needs among unpaid carers. In England, the Care Act 2014 requires local authorities to deliver a wide range of sustainable high-quality care and support services, including support for unpaid carers and local authorities are required to undertake a Carer’s Assessment for any unpaid carer who appears to have a need for support and to meet their eligible needs on request from the carer. There is similar provision in Scotland and in Wales.

Personal Independence Payment: Applications

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the target time is to process a new Personal Independence Payment claim.

Claire Coutinho: While there is no target for clearance times, we are committed to ensuring people can access financial support through Personal Independence Payment (PIP) in a timely manner, taking into account the need to review all available evidence. Reducing customer journey times for PIP claimants is a priority for the Department and we are working constantly to make improvements to our service, including using a blend of phone, video and face-to-face assessments, increasing case manager and assessment provider health professional resource and prioritising new claims, whilst safeguarding the continuity of existing awards to ensure they do not go out of payment. We are seeing an improvement in clearance times and the latest statistics show that the average end-to-end journey has steadily reduced from 26 weeks in August 2021 to 18 weeks at the end of July this year.

Personal Independence Payment

Mary Kelly Foy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to reduce waiting times for Personal Independence Payment reassessment claims.

Claire Coutinho: We are committed to ensuring people can access financial support through Personal Independence Payment (PIP) in a timely manner.  We prioritise new claims, while ensuring claimants awaiting award reviews remain in payment until we can make a decision. We always aim to make an award review decision as quickly as possible, considering the need to review all available evidence, including that from the claimant. In addition, and in order to improve the service across all PIP activities, we are also: using a blend of phone, video and face-to-face assessments to support customers and deliver a more efficient and user-centred service;increasing case manager and assessment provider health professional resource;making decisions on award reviews where it is safe to do so without the need to refer the review to an Assessment Provider. Claimants are asked to contact us if their condition changes so their review can be looked at more quickly.

Carer's Allowance

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of Carer's Allowance.

Claire Coutinho: This Government recognises and values the vital contribution made by carers in supporting some of the most vulnerable in society.  Unpaid carers can receive a range of support depending upon their circumstances, including from local authorities, the NHS and through the benefit system. In England, the Care Act 2014 requires local authorities to deliver a wide range of sustainable high-quality care and support services, including support for unpaid carers, and local authorities are required to undertake a Carer’s Assessment for any unpaid carer who appears to have a need for support and to meet their eligible needs on request from the carer. The primary purpose of Carer’s Allowance is to provide a measure of financial support and recognition for people who give up the opportunity of full-time employment in order to provide regular and substantial care for a severely disabled person.  It is not a “carer’s wage” or designed to fully replace the income from work that an unpaid carer may have foregone. The current rate of Carer’s Allowance is £69.70 per week. This means that since 2010 it has increased from £53.90 to £69.70 a week, providing an additional £800 a year for carers through Carer’s Allowance. In addition to Carer’s Allowance, carers on low incomes can claim income-related benefits, such as Universal Credit and Pension Credit. These benefits can be paid to carers at a higher rate than those without caring responsibilities through the carer element and the additional amount for carers respectively. Currently, the Universal Credit carer element is £168.81 per monthly assessment period, and the additional amount for carers in Pension Credit is £38.85 per week.  Around 433,000 (May 22 data) carer households on Universal Credit can receive around an additional £2,000 a year through the Carer Element. The Government has chosen to focus extra support on those carers who need it most.

Pension Credit

Wendy Chamberlain: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 23 September 2022 to Question 51977 on Pension Credit, whether she has plans to improve how pension credit (a) eligibility and (b) take up is monitored.

Alex Burghart: There are no plans to change the methodology for determining the number of people eligible for Pension Credit and take-up of Pension Credit.

State Retirement Pensions: Females

Sir Alan Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing additional support to women affected by the raise in state pension age who are ineligible for the (a) winter fuel allowance and (b) cost of living payments in the context of the cost of living crisis.

Alex Burghart: This Government is committed to providing a financial safety net for those who need it, including when they near or reach retirement. Support is already available to those who are unable to work or are on a low income but are not eligible to pensioner benefits because of their age. The government understands the pressures people are facing with the cost of living and has taken further decisive action to support people with their energy bills. The Energy Price Guarantee is supporting millions of households with rising energy costs, and the Chancellor made clear it will continue to do so from now until April next year. This is in addition to the over £37bn of Cost of Living support announced earlier this year which includes the £400 non-repayable discount to eligible households provided through the Energy Bills Support Scheme. To support people who need additional help, the Government is providing an extra £500 million of local support. In England this will be via the Household Support Fund, which will be extended from this October to March 2023 backed by £421m. The Household Support Fund helps those in most need with payments towards the rising cost of food, energy and water bills. The Government has issued guidance to Local Authorities to ensure support is targeted towards those most in need of support, including those not eligible for the Cost of Living Payments set out on 26 May 2022. This brings the total amount provided for this type of support to £1.5 billion since October 2021.

Vacancies

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many job vacancies there are in England (a) in total and (b) by region.

Alex Burghart: Regional figures on the number of job vacancies are not published by the ONS. ONS data shows that there are 1.25 million job vacancies in the UK in Jul-Sep 2022. This number has been falling for three consecutive quarters from a record high of 1.3 million. The ONS publishes a weekly index of regional online job adverts, which give us an idea of regional trends in vacancies. As we can see from the data below, online job adverts have fallen in every English region since last year, meaning we are successfully filling vacancies in the labour market and getting people into work. Change on the year in Online Job Adverts by RegionEngland: -19.5%North East: -27.5%North West: -16.9%Yorkshire & the Humber: -20.4%East Midlands: -28.3%West Midlands: -25%East of England: -22.7%London: -16.9%South East: -15.9%South West: -17.2%

State Retirement Pensions

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the Basic State Pension in meeting the needs of pensioners.

Alex Burghart: The State Pension is the foundation of state support for older people. Since 2010, the full yearly amount of the basic State Pension has risen by over £2,300, in cash terms. That's £720 more than if it had been uprated by prices, and £570 more than if it had been uprated by earnings since 2010. The Government has committed to the Triple Lock for the remainder of the Parliament. People in receipt of the basic State Pension may additionally receive some earnings-related additional State Pension or, if they had been contracted out, a work based pension or a combination of the two.

Employment: Menopause

Ian Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact for (a) employers and (b) employees of women needing to reduce their working hours due to the menopause; and the affect this may have on the gender pay gap.

Alex Burghart: The Department does not collect data on the impact of the menopause on employees leaving the workforce or reducing their hours. The former Minister for Employment commissioned the roundtable on older workers to look at the menopause and employment as an issue, emphasising the importance of the support and understanding by employers. An independent menopause and the workplace report was published and the Government’s response was outlined in July. Alongside this, and separately, The Women’s Health Strategy sets out a range of commitments including encouraging employers to implement evidence-based workplace support and introduce workplace menopause policies.

Jobcentres: Pay

Ronnie Cowan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what his Department's timescale is for issuing holiday pay to Jobcentre staff.

Claire Coutinho: There have been unforeseeable challenges that have prevented DWP from introducing a holiday pay solution in respect of overtime and other similar payments. Work is continuing in earnest to enable DWP to implement a solution as soon as is practicable. As a result, we are not yet in a position to confirm when DWP will be making statutory holiday pay payments in respect of overtime and other similar payments.

Department for Work and Pensions: Buildings

Holly Lynch: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of the number of work stations available for people employed by his Department on departmental premises.

Claire Coutinho: The total number of workstations available for colleagues to use across the Department is currently 110,750. This figure includes the 991 workstations in the Department’s headquarters in London Caxton House and the 1,215 in Leeds Quarry House as provided in an earlier response. On 17 March 2022, a statement was made to Parliament outlining the Department’s intention to consolidate its estate as it has too much space. As such, these figures will reduce over time.

Disability

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what meetings she has held with organisations representing disabled people since her appointment.

Claire Coutinho: The Secretary of State, and ministers, regularly meet with organisations representing disabled people, regarding a range of issues. Details of ministerial meetings are published quarterly on gov.uk in line with transparency data releases and can be found here: DWP ministerial gifts, hospitality, travel and meetings, April to June 2022 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Department for Work and Pensions: Operating Costs

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to National Audit Office's Department for Work & Pensions Departmental Overview 2021-22, for what reason her Department's expenditure on department running costs increased from £7.4 billion in 2020-21 to £8.5 billion in 2021-22.

Claire Coutinho: The increase in running costs is predominantly because of increased ring-fenced expenditure in respect of Covid-19 as summarised below:   £m 2020-212021 - 22+ / -COVID-19 Ring-Fenced Expenditure190.91,486.11,295.3Source: 2020-21 DWP Management Accounts - Adj1 v2 : 2021-22 DWP Management Accounts - Adj1 vFinal OutturnThe additional expenditure relates to:New labour market programmes, such as Kickstart and Restart, targeted at specific customer groups (young people; long term unemployed) to help them back into employment.Significant increase in DWP staffing, to deal with increased demand post-Covid.A corresponding increase in DWP estates footprint, to accommodate the increase in staff resources.

Bereavement Support Payment: Cohabitation

Beth Winter: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when will constituents who were previously part of a co-habiting unmarried couple first be able to apply for Bereavement Support Payment.

Claire Coutinho: On 13 October 2022, we laid the draft Bereavement Benefits (Remedial) Order 2022 to extend Widows Parent’s Allowance and Bereavement Support Payment to cohabitees with dependent children. It will lay in Parliament for a 60-day period. The draft Order will be debated, and voted upon, in both Houses of Parliament before the Order can become law. Because of the nature of the Remedial Order process, we cannot at this stage say when the Order will become law, or when claims can be made.

Bereavement Benefits

Beth Winter: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when the Bereavement Benefits (Remedial) Order 2022 will come into effect.

Claire Coutinho: On 13 October 2022, we laid the draft Bereavement Benefits (Remedial) Order 2022 to extend Widows Parent’s Allowance and Bereavement Support Payment to cohabitees with dependent children. It will lay in Parliament for a 60-day period. The draft Order will then be debated, and voted upon, in both Houses of Parliament before the Order can become law. Because of the nature of the Remedial Order process, we cannot at this stage say when the Order will come into effect.

Universal Credit

Beth Winter: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what analysis her Department has conducted on the number of public sector workers employed by central and local government, who have been in receipt Universal Credit, in the last 12 months.

Claire Coutinho: Employees of central and local government claiming Universal Credit have no obligation to inform DWP they are receiving benefits.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Per- and Polyfluorinated Alkyl Substances

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of prohibiting all non-essential use of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) on (a) human health, (b) water quality, (c) animal health and (d) biodiversity.

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the (a) Environment Agency and (b) Health and Safety Executive on the regulatory options management analysis (RMOA) into per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

Trudy Harrison: Work is underway across HM Government to help us assess levels of PFAS occurring in the environment, their sources and potential risks to inform future policy and regulatory approaches. In the UK REACH Work Programme for 2021-22, Defra asked the EA and HSE to examine the risks posed by PFAS and develop a ‘Regulatory Management Options Analysis’ (RMOA). The RMOA will be published in due course and will make recommendations for risk management measures. Defra and the Devolved Administrations will carefully consider its recommendations to inform future PFAS policy, building on the commitment in the 25 Year Environment Plan to tackle chemicals of concern.

Curlews: Moorland

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of introducing predator control methods on the number of curlews living on moorlands.

Trudy Harrison: The management of predators, such as foxes and carrion crows, plays an important role in supporting the recovery of some of our most vulnerable species, particularly ground nesting birds including, for example, curlew and species of tern.

Deposit Return Schemes

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to publish a response to the consultation entitled Introducing a Deposit Return Scheme in England, Wales and Northern Ireland; if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of a scheme that includes (a) only on the go plastic containers of 750ml or less, (b) glass and plastic containers of 750ml or less, (c) plastic containers of all sizes and (d) glass and plastic containers of all sizes on (i) carbon emissions and (ii) Government expenditure; and if he will make a statement.

Trudy Harrison: HM Government has consulted twice on the introduction of a Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) and given careful consideration to scope of the scheme. We set out in the Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging (EPR) consultation response in March 2022 that the DRS would capture all sizes of container up to 3l and materials captured would be plastic and metal cans. Final policy positions and further details on the Deposit Return Scheme will be set out in HM Government response to last year's consultation. We are working towards publication in late 2022. An impact assessment for the scheme is also being finalised which provides a quantitative assessment of the costs and benefits of the policy.

Land Drainage: Property Development

Olivia Blake: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to implement Schedule 3 of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010 to require the installation of sustainable drainage systems in new developments.

Olivia Blake: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to publish the findings of the review of the case for implementing Schedule 3 of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010.

Trudy Harrison: HM Government is currently undertaking a review of the case for implementing Schedule 3 to the Flood and Water Management Act 2010. The review and decision on implementation will be reported in Autumn 2022.

Marine Environment: Per- and Polyfluorinated Alkyl Substances

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when his Department will update the UK Marine Strategy to include the risk to the environment from per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances in sediments.

Trudy Harrison: There are currently no plans to include per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) in sediments in the UK Marine Strategy assessments as the evidence-base for PFAS substances and the level of risk they pose is still evolving. We are working to expand the evidence-base for PFAS substances in the marine environment through a number of work streams. In the United Kingdom REACH Work Programme for 2021-22, Defra asked the Environment Agency and Health and Safety Executive to examine the risks posed by PFAS and develop a 'Regulatory Management Options Analysis' (RMOA). PFAS substances are also monitored in fish and cetaceans by Cefas. Fish are monitored rather than sediments as the levels and frequency of detection of PFAS are higher than in sediment. Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) and perflurooctanoic acid (PFOA) are included in River Basin Management Plan monitoring. Additionally, we recently undertook a baseline study to determine the current levels of PFAS chemicals in estuarine and coastal sediments, which was published as Defra report ME5234 The RMOA and other work across HM Government (including marine monitoring) will help us assess levels of PFAS occurring in the environment, their sources and potential risks to inform future policy and regulatory approaches. The RMOA will be published in due course and will make recommendations for risk management measures of PFAS.

Water: Consumption

Sir Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will introduce water efficiency labelling for white goods; and if he will make a statement.

Trudy Harrison: On 1st July 2021 Defra released a written ministerial statement on reducing demand for water in which we committed to introduce a mandatory water efficiency label. We published a consultation on 2nd September including our proposal for dual labelling for white goods that already have an energy label: UK Mandatory Water Efficiency Labelling - Defra - Citizen Space (https://consult.defra.gov.uk/water-efficiency-labelling/water-efficiency-labelling/).

Air Pollution: West Midlands

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with the Mayor of the West Midlands on improving air quality.

Trudy Harrison: The Secretary of State has not had recent discussions with the Mayor of the West Midlands on improving air quality.

Droughts

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has had discussions with (a) Ofwat and (b) water companies on civil contingency planning for drought since January 2022; and if he will publish the minutes of those meetings.

Trudy Harrison: The National Drought Group, made up of senior decision-makers from HM Government, the Environment Agency, Ofwat, water companies and key representative groups is meeting regularly to agree the actions required to manage the current impacts of the drought and reduce the risks into next year. The EA publishes a summary of the NDG discussions and actions which is available here.Defra is the Lead Government Department for drought contingency planning with further details available here.

Pigs: Animal Housing

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department conducted a comparative review of free farrowing systems in the Uk and other countries in 2020 in response to the recommendation of the Independent Report of the Farm Animal Welfare Committee entitled Opinion on Free Farrowing Systems, published in November 2015.

Scott Mann: Defra’s Action Plan for Animal Welfare, published last year, outlined that we would be examining the confinement of farm animals, including the use of farrowing crates for pigs. As part of this examination, we are considering the many different pig production systems, used both in the United Kingdom and in other countries.

Environmental Land Management Schemes

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many farm businesses signed up to participate in each Environmental Land Management (ELM) scheme programme in each year since its inception.

Mark Spencer: There are three new schemes that will reward farmers for their environmental land management; these are the Sustainable Farming Incentive, Local Nature Recovery and Landscape Recovery schemes. The Sustainable Farming Incentive is the first of the new environmental land management schemes to open for applications. As of 18th October 2022, over 4,450 farmers had started their applications of which, 1,980 had been submitted to the Rural Payments Agency. This figure includes applications received for both the pilot scheme launched in 2021 and early rollout of the scheme in June 2022.

Agriculture: Red Diesel

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will hold discussions with cabinet colleagues on re-setting the red diesel costs to help enable farmers to reduce overheads and maintain employed staff.

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will have discussions with Cabinet colleagues on the potential merits of reducing red diesel costs to help support farmers through the cost of living crisis.

Mark Spencer: In response to high fuel prices, HM Government announced during Spring Statement 2022 a temporary 12-month cut to duty on petrol and diesel of 5p per litre, and a proportionate percentage cut for rebated fuels. This represents a tax cut for households and businesses worth around £2.4 billion in 2022-23. The entitlement to use red diesel was removed from most sectors in April 2022 under reforms to the 2020 Budget. However, the agriculture sector can continue to use red diesel. Those entitled to use red diesel currently pay a duty rate of only 10.18 pence per litre, which is significantly less than those using standard road fuel diesel, which has a duty rate of 52.95 pence per litre. As with all taxes, HM Government keeps the entitlement use to red diesel under review.

Total Allowable Catches

Peter Aldous: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 28 September 2022 to Question 49115 on Fisheries: Quotas, if he will publish the UK’s position for all Total Allowable Catches after the completion of negotiations.

Mark Spencer: As in previous years, HM Government will publish the agreed written records of the negotiations upon their completion.

Total Allowable Catches

Peter Aldous: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 28 September 2022 to Question 49115 on Fisheries: Quotas, if he will take steps to ensure that his Department does not set Total Allowable Catches limits which are in excess of those founded on available scientific advice.

Peter Aldous: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 28 September 2022 to Question 49115 on Fisheries: Quotas, if he will set catch limits below those recommended in scientific advice for stocks where vulnerable stocks are caught as bycatch.

Mark Spencer: The United Kingdom advocates an approach towards setting Total Allowable Catches (TACs) which is founded on the best available scientific advice and that will maintain or rebuild sustainable fish stocks and fisheries. For a number of target stocks a further key consideration when setting the TACs is their interaction with other stocks caught in the same mixed fishery. Therefore, we recognise the need to minimise unwanted bycatch and maintain stocks at sustainable levels.

Air Pollution

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has with representatives of the Local Government Association on his proposals to tackle toxic air in England.

Trudy Harrison: The Secretary of State has had limited discussions with the Local Government Association (LGA) and local authorities regarding air quality due to the very short time in post. Tackling air quality is a Government priority and the Secretary of State will continue dialogue with these key stakeholders on this important matter.

Landfill: Health Hazards

Mary Kelly Foy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made on the potential effect of (a) operating and (b) defunct landfill sites on health outcomes for residents who live within a one kilometre radius of those sites.

Trudy Harrison: Whilst we have made no overall assessment of the potential effect of either operating or defunct landfill sites on health outcomes for residents who live within a one kilometre radius of those sites, the Environmental Permitting regime regulates the network of permitted and exempt waste sites that safely treat or dispose of waste. The regulations protect against pollution which could cause damage to the environment or human health. The regulations include requirements for how sites operate and powers for the Environment Agency to intervene to address poor performance or tackle illegal activity. It is an offence to treat or dispose of waste outside of an appropriate permit or exemption. A defunct landfill may well not be subject to the permitting regime, which means it can be assessed by a Local Authority to establish whether it should be classified as contaminated land. Where serious contamination exists, the Local Authority can refer responsibility for the site to the Environment Agency.

Farms: Reservoirs

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the role of on-farm reservoirs in UK food production.

Mark Spencer: Having sufficient water is of vital importance for ensuring optimal yield, growth and quality of our crops and we remain committed to increasing on-farm reservoir capacity to support farm resilience and food production.In November 2021 Defra launched the £10 million Water Management grant scheme which provides grant funding support for the construction of on-farm reservoirs and the adoption of best practice irrigation application equipment to help ensure farmers have access to water when they need it most. This will build on-farm water resilience, so helping to ensure farmers will have access to the water they need to produce adequate fruit and vegetable yields.

Bread

Dr Philippa Whitford: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Government will carry out a public consultation on bread composition, labelling and marketing.

Mark Spencer: The United Kingdom has high standards on the information provided on food labels. Existing food labelling rules make sure that food is produced safely and labelled effectively. This means people can make informed choices about the food they buy and consume. HM Government is committed to optimising the information that is available to consumers, and the Government Food Strategy sets out work that we will be taking forward on consumer information and transparency.On 1st September 2022, HM Government and devolved administrations jointly launched a public consultation seeking views on proposals to update and amend the Bread and Flour Regulations 1998 and the Bread and Flour Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1998. These regulations cover specific rules on composition and labelling for bread and flour.The proposals are primarily focused on the requirements relating to the mandatory fortification of non-wholemeal flour. The proposals included in this consultation look at ways to make sure that the regulations lead to improved public health, support UK industry, assist enforcement authorities and protect consumers. The consultation remains live until 23rd November 2022 and we would like to hear from anyone with an interest.

Home Office

Police Custody: Children

Janet Daby: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to ensure Custody Officers receive sufficient training on the detention of children in police custody.

Chris Philp: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Police Custody: Children

Janet Daby: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he plans to introduce a requirement for police forces to collect data on the number of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller children detained in police custody.

Chris Philp: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Fisheries: Vacancies

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of delaying the commencement of Section 43 of the Nationality and Borders Act 2022, to help support fish producer organisations to find a workable solution to labour shortages.

Robert Jenrick: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Deportation: Albania

Olivia Blake: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether a full welfare assessment was conducted for every Albanian national selected for removal from the UK on 12 October 2022; where the assessment took place; and who undertook the assessment.

Robert Jenrick: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Deportation: Albania

Olivia Blake: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what legal advice was available to and accessed by the Albanian nationals who were removed from the UK on 12 October 2022.

Robert Jenrick: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Deportation: Albania

Olivia Blake: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Albanian nationals were originally considered for removal from the UK on 12 October 2022 through the accelerated removals procedure; and how many were taken out of the process as a result of (a) making an asylum claim and (b) being identified as potential victims of modern slavery.

Robert Jenrick: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Asylum: Children

Angus Brendan MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 17 October 2022 to Question 60996, whether a letter from the Chief Social Work Officer confirming the identity of an unaccompanied asylum seeking child (UASC), that they are travelling to a receiving local authority and that they need to travel by air would enable them to travel without an application reference card if they are accompanied by a member of staff from the receiving authority.

Robert Jenrick: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Missing Persons: Children

Stephen Kinnock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what responsibility her Department has towards children who go missing from accommodation provided by her Department; and if she will make an assessment of the reasons for which some children have gone missing (a) before arriving and (b) while at accommodation provided by her Department.

Robert Jenrick: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Visas: Overseas Students

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many graduate student visa holders are accompanied by five or six dependents.

Robert Jenrick: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Undocumented Migrants: Slavery

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if his Department will publish the guidance on its proposed policy to reclassify modern slavery as an illegal immigrationissue.

Robert Jenrick: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Refugees: Afghanistan

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make it his policy to exempt female Afghans who remain inside Afghanistan and who are family members of British nationals or persons settled in the UK from the English Language requirement of Appendix FM of the Immigration Rules on the basis of (a) the Taliban prohibition on women studying in Afghanistan, (b) the dangers of women traveling to and from Afghanistan to alternative study centres and (c) the absence of a Home Office approved language testing centre in Afghanistan; and if he will make a statement.

Robert Jenrick: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Refugees: Afghanistan

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 18 October 2022 to Question 59599 on Ethnic Groups: Afghanistan, if he will make it his policy to provide a pathway and a scheme for immediate and urgent resettlement for Hazara people who cannot access Afghan Citizens’ Resettlement Scheme Pathway Two because they have not been able to flee Afghanistan and who face (a) persecution and (b) sexual violence in Afghanistan; and if he will make a statement.

Robert Jenrick: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Refugees: Afghanistan

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 18 October 2022 to Question 59602 on Refugees: Afghanistan, what provision his Department has made for undocumented people applying to join family who are recognised refugees in the UK and are unable to travel within Turkey to attend a visa application centre; if he will make it his policy to allow those people to apply online and provide biometric details on arrival in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Robert Jenrick: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Immigration: Economic Growth

Stephen Kinnock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 21 October 2022 to Question 66008 on Overseas Students, what assessment the Government has made of the contribution of immigration to growth; and when that assessment will be published.

Robert Jenrick: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Visas: Overseas Students

Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many graduate student visa holders are accompanied by five or six dependents.

Robert Jenrick: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Visas: Applications

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he plans to reduce the service standard for visas from 24 weeks back to 12 weeks.

Robert Jenrick: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Detention Centres: Manston

Stephen Kinnock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment the Government has made of the potential health and safety implications of overcrowding at the former Ministry of Defence site in Manston, Kent; and what is the maximum capacity of that facility.

Robert Jenrick: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

United Russia

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of proscribing the United Party of Russia under the Terrorism Act 2000.

Tom Tugendhat: Whilst the Government keeps the list of proscribed organisations under review, we do not routinely comment on whether an organisation is or is not under consideration for proscription.The UK and our allies condemn the Russian Government’s unprovoked and premeditated invasion of Ukraine. We have considerable powers to sanction the Russian Government, which we have used with our allies to significant effect. The Government has implemented the strongest set of economic sanctions ever to degrade Russia’s war.

National Joint Council for Local Authority Fire and Rescue Services: North East

Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he plans to provide more funding to the National Joint Council for Local Authority Fire and Rescue Services (NJC) in (a) Sunderland and (b) the North East.

Chris Philp: The Home Office does not fund the National Joint Council.Setting firefighter pay is the responsibility of employers, working through the National Joint Council; the Home Office plays no role in the negotiation or funding of firefighters’ pay.

Diamorphine: Middlesbrough

Andy McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the effect on patients of the closure of the Diamorphine Assisted Treatment (DAT) clinic in Middlesbrough given that Project ADDER, in part, covers enhanced treatment and recovery services.

Chris Philp: As set out in our ten-year Strategy, this Government is committed to a whole-system approach to tackling drugs which gives people with an addiction access to treatment to assist recovery. The safety and wellbeing of patients receiving treatment is our top priority. Middlesbrough Council has assured us that all patients transitioning from Diamorphine/Heroin Assisted Treatment, following the local authority’s decision to close this service, have received bespoke transition planning to maintain safety and appropriate care.Through Project ADDER (Addiction, Diversion, Disruption, Enforcement and Recovery) we have provided £4.58m in funding to Middlesborough between 2020-2023 to drive a one-system approach to tackling drugs. The Project ADDER approach brings together co-ordinated law enforcement activity, diversionary programmes and enhanced treatment and recovery provisions. Local funding decisions for the provision of treatment and recovery services are made by the local authority.

Home Office: Buildings

Holly Lynch: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate he has made of the number of work stations available for people employed by his Department on departmental premises.

Chris Philp: There are 23,466 workstations in the Departments property holdings. Additional desking is provided for staff working within Ports and airports.

Anti-social Behaviour

Aaron Bell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of trends in the level of anti-social behaviour in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency, (b) North Staffordshire, (c) the West Midlands and (d) England in each of the last three years; and what steps his Department is taking to tackle anti-social behaviour in those areas.

Chris Philp: The Government is committed to tackling and preventing anti-social behaviour (ASB). We know the serious impact that persistent ASB can have on both individuals and the wider community. Last year the Beating Crime Plan laid out the Government’s plan for tackling crime and ASB and committed to working with local agencies and partners to drive down ASB using the full range of powers and tools in the ‘2014 Act’.The Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 provides a range of flexible tools and powers to local agencies to tackle anti-social behaviour. Local areas decide how best to deploy these powers depending on the specific circumstances. The Office for National Statistics annually publishes anti-social behaviour incidents reported to the police by Police Force Area and no further lower level breakdown is currently available.Police recorded ASB incidents for the West Midlands were on a steady decline pre-Covid-19 with a 40% fall in 2019-20 when compared with 2016-17. The overall number of ASB incidents in England & Wales also fell (24%) pre-Covid-19 but to a lesser degree than in West Midlands. The year to March 2022 reports a drop in ASB incidents for both England & Wales (-6%) and West Midlands (-17%) when compared to the 2019-20 (pre-Covid-19) period.

Copper: Theft

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions his Department has had with the Metropolitan Police on gas copper pipe theft.

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions his Department has had with the Metropolitan Police on lead theft from buildings such as churches.

Chris Philp: The Home Office engages at a national level with the National Police Chiefs’ Council, police forces and law enforcement agencies, and other stakeholders to understand the national picture on metal theft, including gas copper pipe theft, and what can be done to tackle it. This includes supporting the work of the National Police Chiefs’ Council Metal Crime Steering Group led by the NPCC lead for metal theft, ACC Charlie Doyle. The Metropolitan Police is represented on this group.The Home Office provided £177,000 seed corn funding in the 2020/21 financial year to establish the National Infrastructure Crime Reduction Partnership. The Partnership ensures national co-ordination of policing and law enforcement partners to tackle metal theft. The Partnership, facilitates data and intelligence sharing to partners to target offenders, understand emerging trends, and implement crime prevention measures. The partnership has provided training to over 1,600 police officers and other law enforcement agencies in tackling metal theft.We have also provided funding to Historic England for a project to mark lead from church roofs and explore how to best prevent and investigate theft and illicit disposal of metal from historic sites.

Hate Crime

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the levels of hate crime directed toward people with disabilities, when his Department's new hate crime strategy will be published.

Chris Philp: Hate crime is a scourge on communities across the country. It does not reflect the values of modern Britain.All forms of hate crime are completely unacceptable. We expect the police to fully investigate these hateful attacks and make sure the cowards who commit them feel the full force of the law.The Government is committed to reducing crime and getting more police on the streets and is considering the next best steps to do so.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities: Location

Florence Eshalomi: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if they will publish the payments made to officials in their Department for relocation to government offices outside London in 2021.

Lee Rowley: The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Capital Investment: Environment Protection

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will ensure that changes to planning rules in investment zones will not reduce protections for ancient woodlands.

Lee Rowley: The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Gardens

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will amend the General Permitted Development Order to require that all new surfaces in front gardens should be permeable.

Lucy Frazer: Permitted development rights already require that hard surfacing in excess of five square metres is made of porous materials or the run-off is directed from the hard surface to a permeable or porous surface within the curtilage of the house.The Government has published Guidance on the Permeable Surfacing of Front Gardens , available at: www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/7728/pavingfrontgardens.pdf

Cabinet Office

Members: Correspondence

Angela Rayner: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when his Department intends to reply to the letter of 8 July to the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster from the Right Honourable Members for Ashton-under-Lyne and Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford.

Jeremy Quin: I refer the Rt Hon Member to the (then) Prime Minister's letter of 21 July to the Liaison Committee relating to his appearance before the Liaison Committee on 6 July. A copy of this letter was placed in the Library of the House and has been published by the Committee.

Queen Elizabeth II: Public Statues

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of the proposal to place a statue of Queen Elizabeth II on Trafalgar Square’s fourth plinth.

Jeremy Quin: The Government is grateful for the many suggestions received to commemorate the life and legacy of Queen Elizabeth II. We will carefully consider these suggestions, including those that relate to Trafalgar Square’s fourth plinth, as part of thinking about how we remember Her extraordinary legacy.Following the passing of the Deregulation Act 2015, consent from the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport is no longer required to erect statues in London.

Valuation Office Agency: Pay

Chris Stephens: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether, and on what date, a pay business case from the Valuation Office Agency was received by his Department.

Chris Stephens: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether, and on what date, a pay business case from the Government Internal Audit Agency was received by his Department.

Chris Stephens: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether, and on what date, a pay business case from the Health and Safety Executive was received by his Department.

Chris Stephens: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when his officials plan to reply to the PCS Union’s letter of 23 August 2022 on pay business cases; and if he will make a statement on the reasons for the delay in responding to that letter.

Jeremy Quin: The Cabinet Office has not received pay business cases from these organisations. In line with pay delegation, consultation and negotiation on pay takes place between individual employers and local trade unions. The Cabinet Office does not consult or negotiate pay. A response to PCS Union's letter will be issued shortly.

East of England Broadband Network: Place Group

Rachel Hopkins: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the compatibility of the issuing of a contract to the value of £7 billion for Everything Net Zero by East of England Broadband Network to the Place Group with Government requirements on public procurement; and if he will make a statement.

Jeremy Quin: ‘Everything Net Zero’ is a framework, not a contract, which has been put together by the East of England Broadband Network, a regional consortium of local authorities and schools. It has not been put together by central government buyers. The framework is designed to help organisations, such as schools and local councils, find companies with whom they can work on sustainability projects, such as the installation of solar panels on schools.The quoted £70 billion contract value is an estimate by the East of England Broadband Network of the highest possible maximum turnover the framework could generate over its lifetime. This is not money which has been awarded.

Food Supply

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to ensure adequate contingency planning for food security in the context of the (a) cost of living crisis and (b) market unpredictability.

Jeremy Quin: My department works closely with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and industry figures to monitor food supply, which overall remains resilient. We continue to work to ensure we are well equipped to deal with situations which may cause disruption.

Public Houses: Closures

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate his Department has made of the number of pubs that have closed in the last 12 months.

Jeremy Quin: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.A response to the Hon. Member's Parliamentary Question of 19 October is attached.Pub closure (pdf, 111.9KB)

Treasury

Credit Rating: Domestic Abuse

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment has he made of (a) adequacy and (b) effectiveness of support available to help ensure that victims of financial abuse and control are not disadvantaged in calculation of finance industry credit ratings as a result of that abuse.

Andrew Griffith: The Government is strongly committed to tackle financial exclusion and discrimination and aims for everyone, whatever their background or income, to be able to access useful and affordable financial products and services. The Government works closely together with regulators, the financial services industry and other stakeholders, to ensure that all consumers of financial services are appropriately protected. Industry-agreed principles, rather than government policy, determine what and how information is shared between organisations and Credit Reference Agencies (CRAs). CRAs then hold this information on individuals’ credit files and use it to create a credit score. Consumers can add a Notice (of up to 200 words) to their credit file explaining any circumstances, such as an abuser taking control of a person’s existing credit facilities, or applying for credit in their name, that may impact decisions made about their applications for credit, including mortgages. Lenders should take the content of this Notice into account alongside the other information on the credit file. In addition, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is currently undertaking a Credit Information Market Study which is assessing how the sector is working now and how it may develop in the future. The FCA is planning to publish an interim report in Q4 2022. More broadly, in February 2021, the FCA also published its finalised guidance for firms on the fair treatment of vulnerable customers, setting out a number of best practices (https://www.fca.org.uk/publications/finalised-guidance/guidance-firms-fair-treatment-vulnerable-customers). This applies to all firms where the FCA Principles for Business apply, regardless of sector and in respect of the supply of products or services to retail customers.

Infrastructure: Loans

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the statement of losses and special payments in his Department’s annual report for 2021-22, what organisation was the original recipient of the £6 million infrastructure loan written off by his Department; what infrastructure project was that loan intended to fund; and in which financial year was the loan paid.

Felicity Buchan: As part of the UK Guarantees Scheme, HM Treasury (HMT) provided a £48m guarantee in August 2014 for bonds issued by the Speyside Biomass Combined Heat and Power project in Moray, Scotland. In October 2020, Speyside Renewable Energy Partnership entered administration and HMT provided a working capital loan to the administrators. The asset was sold in March 2022 and the debt guarantee was released with the guaranteed debt fully repaid in March 2022. However, as part of the administration process, the working capital loan was not fully repaid and £6 million was written off as reported in the Annual Reports and Accounts.

Spirits: Excise Duties

Ian Murray: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what impact assessment his Department has made of the potential effects of cancelling freeze in spirits excise duty on investment by Scotch Whisky distilleries.

Ian Murray: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what impact assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of cancelling the freeze in spirits excise duty on jobs maintained by Scotch Whisky distilleries.

Ian Murray: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of HMRC spirits excise duty receipts for 2021-22; and how the amount of revenue received by HM Treasury compares with projections for receipts for 2023-24.

Ian Murray: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what impact assessment his Department has undertaken of the cancelled duty freeze on the Scotch Whisky industry given the effect of RPI.

Felicity Buchan: On 17 October, the Chancellor announced a reversal of almost all of the tax measures set out in the Growth Plan that have not been legislated for in parliament. This includes the freeze of alcohol duty rates from 1 February 2023. The purpose is to ensure the UK’s economic stability and to provide confidence in the government’s commitment to fiscal discipline. The Chancellor made clear in his statement that the UK’s public finances must be on a sustainable path into the medium term.The alcohol duty uprating decision and interactions with the wider Alcohol Duty Review, which continues as planned, will be considered in due course. The government will continue to assess the impact of its decisions on alcohol duties, including through ongoing engagement with stakeholders.

Revenue and Customs

Ruth Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of HMRC's budget.

Victoria Atkins: Treasury Ministers have regular discussions with officials from both HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and HM Treasury regarding HMRC’s finances.

Remote Working: Tax Allowances

Stewart Malcolm McDonald: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the weekly tax relief of £6 per week for people working from home to mitigate increased gas and electricity costs and other increases to the cost of living.

Victoria Atkins: Eligible employees can claim tax relief on the allowance of £6 per week without the need to provide evidence of expenditure. The amount was increased from £4 per week in April 2020. As with all aspects of the tax system, the Government keeps tax reliefs under review and any decisions on future changes will be taken in the context of the wider public finances.Employees who are eligible for tax relief for working from home can claim relief on the actual amount of additional household costs, providing they can provide evidence of the increased amount.

Stamp Duty Land Tax

Jim Shannon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Onward report entitled Going Green, published in August 2022, what assessment he has made for the implications of his policies of the recommendation to provide a rebate of 50 per cent of stamp duty costs if homebuyers install energy-efficiency measures and heat pumps within 24 months of moving into a new property.

Victoria Atkins: Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) is a transaction tax paid at the point of sale by purchasers of property or land in England and Northern Ireland. On 23 September 2022, the Government increased the nil-rate threshold for SDLT from £125,000 to £250,000 for most purchasers, and from £300,000 to £425,000 for first-time buyers. This means around 43 per cent of purchases a year will not be liable to any SDLT. Introducing incentives based on the installation of energy efficiency measures would add significant complexity to the operation of the current system.

Tax Allowances: Disability

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to his Department's guidance Get VAT relief on certain goods if you have a disability, last updated 22 January 2019, if he will make it his policy to allow (a) sports clubs and (b) other charitable groups to purchase medical appliances such as wheelchairs at zero rate, including in instances when those appliances will not solely be for the use of one specified individual.

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Get VAT relief on certain goods if you have a disability guidance published 6 January 2015, if he will make it his policy to permit sports clubs and other charitable groups to purchase medical appliances, such as wheelchairs, at zero rate, even when those appliances will not solely be for the benefit of one specified individual.

Victoria Atkins: The supply of a wheelchair designed solely for the use of a disabled person can be zero-rated where it is supplied to a disabled person for their personal or domestic use or when supplied to a charity which will make the wheelchair available to a disabled person for their personal or domestic use. Where a wheelchair is supplied or made available for more general use, rather than for the personal or domestic use of one or more specified individuals, the supply will be standard rated. There are currently no plans to widen the scope of this relief.

Childcare: Tax Allowances

Stephen Farry: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has been made of the potential merits of extending Tax Free Childcare to students embarking on studies in areas that are deemed economically or socially necessary for future UK skills needs.

John Glen: Tax-Free Childcare has been designed with the specific policy aim of supporting parents to return to paid work or work more, by providing support with their childcare costs. For this reason, to be eligible for Tax-Free Childcare, each parent must be in work and earning at least the equivalent of 16 hours’ work a week at the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage. Students who are working alongside their studies and earning at least this minimum threshold are eligible for Tax-Free Childcare. Alternative Government support is available for those who are studying and have childcare responsibilities, such as the Student Childcare Grant. This supports students with childcare costs by providing eligible full-time students with 85% of their childcare costs, up to a fixed maximum amount.

Capital Investment: Local Government

Kate Osamor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department plans to compensate local authorities for tax revenue lost due to Investment Zones.

John Glen: The government will compensate local authorities for the reduction in retained business rates related to the implementation of business rates reliefs in Investment Zones.

Mortgages

Dame Angela Eagle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department plans to introduce new measures to support mortgage prisoners in response to increases in the (a) base rate and (b) cost of living.

Dame Angela Eagle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits regulating interest-only mortgage lenders’ adjustment of variable rates.

Dame Angela Eagle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of incorporating closed book mortgages into existing mortgage regulatory frameworks.

Dame Angela Eagle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of moving mortgage prisoners’ mortgages to active lenders.

Dame Angela Eagle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of introducing a moratorium on interest rate rises for those with pre-2008 mortgages in non-lending closed books.

Dame Angela Eagle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of capping profit margins on standard variable rate mortgages.

Andrew Griffith: The Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) review into mortgage prisoners, published in November 2021, found that there are 47,000 mortgage prisoners who might benefit from switching to a new mortgage deal but are considered too high risk to do so, despite being up to date with payments. The review makes clear that the reason mortgage prisoners are unable to switch are varied and complex. As such, there is no silver bullet to address the circumstances of this entire population of mortgage holders without being unfair to other borrowers. The Government has already worked with the FCA to implement changes to its mortgage lending rules, removing the regulatory barrier that prevented some mortgage prisoners, who otherwise may have been able to switch, from accessing new products. These rules should allow customers to switch to an active lender as long as they meet the lender’s risk appetite and certain criteria, such as not looking to borrow more. Ultimately, the pricing and availability of mortgages is a commercial decision for lenders in which the Government does not intervene. As such, the Government cannot force lenders to lend to borrowers that sit outside of their risk appetite. Any further work on this issue must consider the impact and practicality of solutions and their effects on the wider mortgage market, including the resilience of firms and fairness to other borrowers. There is no evidence, for instance, that consumers have experienced detriment that would be resolved by an extension of the regulatory perimeter. It is also worth noting that the Standard Variable Rates (SVRs) charged by inactive firms are in line with those paid by borrowers in the active market. The Government remains open to practical and proportionate solutions to help mortgage prisoners that do not pose unacceptable financial stability risks, and are not unfair to other borrowers in the mortgage market. More broadly, the Government understands that people across the UK are worried about the cost of living. That is why we have announced £37 billion of support for the cost of living this financial year. We have also taken decisive action to support millions of households with rising energy costs this winter through the Energy Price Guarantee and the Energy Bill Relief Scheme. Millions of the most vulnerable households will receive £1,200 of support this year, with additional support for pensioners and those claiming disability benefits. When mortgage borrowers are in financial difficulty and struggling to pay their mortgage, FCA guidance requires firms to provide support through tailored forbearance options. The Government also offers support to borrowers through Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI) loans to homeowners in receipt of an income-related benefit, and protection in the courts under the Mortgage Pre-Action Protocol.

Mortgages: Non-payment

Paula Barker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the increase risked in non-payment of mortgages in the context of a potential increase in Bank of England interest rates in (a) Liverpool Wavertree constituency and (b) the North West of England.

Andrew Griffith: Mortgage arrears levels remain at historically low levels. According to the latest UK Finance data, there were 74,560 homeowner mortgages in arrears at the end of June, 10% fewer than in the same period in the previous year. Around 75% of residential mortgage borrowers are on fixed-rate deals and are therefore shielded from interest rate rises in the short term. However, the Government has already taken immediate action to help households, including those in the Liverpool Wavertree constituency and the North West of England, through the Energy Price Guarantee. This is in addition to the £37 billion of targeted support for the cost of living this financial year. For mortgage borrowers that do enter financial difficulty and struggle to keep up with payments, Financial Conduct Authority guidance requires firms to provide support through tailored forbearance options. This could include a range of measures depending on individual circumstances. The Government has also taken a number of measures aimed at helping people to avoid repossession, including Support for Mortgage Interest loans for those in receipt of an income-related benefit, and protection in the courts through the Pre-Action Protocol, which makes it clear that repossession must always be the last resort for lenders.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Film

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to promote the UK as an attractive destination for filmmaking.

Julia Lopez: The Government is committed to ensuring that the UK remains the leading global destination for inward investors in filmmaking.In recent years, the government’s actions have helped the film and TV industry bounce back from the pandemic, with production now stronger than ever. This includes the £500 million Film and TV Production Restart Scheme, supporting over 100,000 jobs and productions worth more than £3 billion, and the Culture Recovery Fund, supporting over 200 independent cinemas.To build on this, and support the industry to not only survive but thrive, further actions have been taken. This includes the government’s current £1.6million annual funding of the British Film Commission, which has driven a near doubling of UK studio capacity, the £28 million UK Global Screen Fund, which is expanding the global reach of UK independent content, and the continued success of our screen sector tax reliefs (for film, high end TV, animation and children’s TV), which in 2021-22 provided £792m of support for over 1000 projects.The Government will continue to engage closely with industry, the British Film Institute, and the British Film Commission, to further promote the UK as a filmmaking destination and to build upon the success of 2021, which saw a record-breaking £5.64 billion in screen production in the film and high-end TV sectors alone.

Television Licences: Non-payment

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether it is her policy to decriminalise the non-payment of the TV Licence fee.

Julia Lopez: The Government consulted on decriminalisation of TV licence evasion in 2020, and published its response in January 2021. The response to the consultation shows that a significant number of people oppose the criminal sanction with some highlighting the considerable stress and anxiety it can cause for individuals, including the most vulnerable in society, such as older people.However, the consultation also identified that changing the sanction for TV licence evasion would have wide-ranging impacts for licence fee payers, as well as potentially leading to a significant increase in fines for those evading payment.The Government therefore decided to keep the issue of decriminalisation under consideration.More broadly, it is necessary to look at the BBC’s funding model as a whole to ensure it is sustainable in the long-term. The Government will set out further detail on its plans regarding the future of the licence fee in due course.

Events Industry

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to promote the UK as a destination for major international conferences, exhibitions and events.

Julia Lopez: The Government is committed to promoting the UK as a destination for major international conferences, exhibitions and events. The UK will host the Eurovision Song Contest next year in Liverpool, on behalf of last year’s winner Ukraine. The event will be a great opportunity to showcase the UK’s visitor economy and host people from all over the world.VisitBritain’s Business Events Growth Programme forms a key part of the government’s commitment to grow the business events sector. In 2022/23, the programme is on course for a record year of successful applications across a wide distribution of British cities, supporting events in the UK’s strongest growth sectors. So far this financial year, there have been 25 confirmed applications for potential and confirmed events in 11 cities across the UK.The Tourism Recovery Plan sets out our long-term vision for growing the sector and our commitment to providing strong government advocacy for business events. The Tourism Industry Council’s Events Industry Board working group advises on how industry and the government can collaborate to support the sector’s growth.

Events Industry

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to ensure a coordinated cross-governmental approach to mitigating pressures facing the events, conference and exhibitions sector.

Julia Lopez: The Government is working closely with the events and exhibitions sector to monitor the impact of current pressures on businesses. My Department meets regularly with stakeholders - including the Events Industry Alliance, Business Visits & Events Partnership and the Meetings Industry Association - to gather intelligence and signpost businesses to relevant resources. In addition, the Tourism Industry Council’s Events Industry Board working group advises on how industry and government can collaborate to support the sector’s growth.We will continue to engage with colleagues across government, including in the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, to monitor trends as the industry continues its recovery from the pandemic.

Channel Four Television: Privatisation

Paula Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what her planned timetable is for publishing the reassessment of the business case to privatise Channel 4.

Julia Lopez: Channel 4 is a great UK success story and, in a rapidly changing media landscape, the government wants it to thrive in the long-term while maintaining its distinctiveness.As set out in our recent white paper, Up Next - the government’s vision for the broadcasting sector, Channel 4 - along with all broadcasters - is facing challenges to its future success and sustainability. This is due to the rapidly evolving media landscape, including unprecedented competition for viewers, programmes and talent from overseas as well as new, rapidly growing, streaming platforms.As the Secretary of State has said, she is carefully considering the business case for a sale of Channel 4 and we will set out more detail in due course.

Social Media: Disinformation

Mr David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the answer of 11 October to Question 53272 on Social Media: Disinformation, how many times the Counter Disinformation Unit team has referred content to social media platforms in each year since the Unit was set up; and to which companies the content was referred.

Damian Collins: The primary purpose of the Counter Disinformation Unit is not to spot every instance of disinformation across all social media platforms, but rather to understand overall trends and coordinated attempts to artificially manipulate the information environment. When the Unit does identify particular pieces of harmful content which may violate platforms’ terms of service these are referred to the relevant platform for consideration, who in turn decide what action to take.As an operational matter it is not appropriate for the government to publicly provide details of content reported to platforms as doing so would give malign actors insight into our capabilities.

COP26

Methane: Pollution Control

Geraint Davies: To ask the President of COP26, what plans he has to publish a strategy for reducing methane emissions in the UK to meet commitments made in the Global Methane Pledge, ahead of COP27.

Alok Sharma: The UK has been working closely with Egypt and the UAE, as incoming COP27 and COP28 Presidencies, with the UNFCCC Secretariat and other international organisations, to ensure commitments and agreements made at COP26 are built upon and delivered. The UK remains committed to playing a leadership role on the global stage tackling climate Change.The UK is showing global leadership on reducing our methane emissions, cutting emissions across energy, waste and agriculture by just over 60 percent since 1990, more than any other OECD country.The UK will continue to implement domestic methane emissions reductions as we strive to meet our net zero target by 2050. For example, as set out in the Net Zero Strategy we are exploring policies to work towards the near elimination of biodegradable municipal waste to landfill by 2028. Building on our commitments under the Global Methane Pledge, we will publish a methane memorandum by the end of the year.

Climate Change

Geraint Davies: To ask the President of COP26, what plans he has to ensure the UK stays on track to meet its commitments made in the Global Methane Pledge; and what plans he has to help maintain Britain’s global leadership on climate at COP27.

Alok Sharma: The UK has been working closely with Egypt and the UAE, as incoming COP27 and COP28 Presidencies, with the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) Secretariat and other international organisations, to ensure commitments and agreements made at COP26 are built upon and delivered. The UK remains committed to playing a leadership role on the global stage tackling climate change.The UK is showing global leadership on reducing our methane emissions, cutting emissions across energy, waste and agriculture by just over 60 percent since 1990, more than any other OECD country.The UK will continue to implement domestic methane emissions reductions as we strive to meet our net zero target by 2050. For example, as set out in the Net Zero Strategy we are exploring policies to work towards the near elimination of biodegradable municipal waste to landfill by 2028. Building on our commitments under the Global Methane Pledge, we will publish a methane memorandum by COP27.

Climate Change Convention: Egypt

Ruth Jones: To ask the President of COP26, which members of the Government will be attending COP27 in Egypt.

Alok Sharma: COP26 President Alok Sharma will attend COP27 and negotiate on behalf of the UK. The wider composition of the UK Government's delegation will be announced in due course.